SAMAK SUNDARAVEJ will not be a candidate when the Thai parliament votes next week for a new premier, an aide said yesterday, but street campaigners vowed to keep pressure on the government he led for seven months.

Thailand’s ruling party says it has decided not to renominate ousted prime minister Samak Sundaravej for the post.

Thailand’s ousted leader Samak Sundaravej today accepted the endorsement of the country’s ruling party to return as prime minister.

Thailand’s ruling party has re-nominated ousted leader Samak Sundaravej for the prime minister’s post despite objections from its coalition partners.

Thailand’s army chief urged the caretaker government today to lift a state of emergency and backed a proposal to form a government of national unity that would include all the country’s parties.

Thailand’s prime minister was forced to resign today along with his Cabinet after the Constitutional Court ruled that he had broken a conflict-of-interest law by hosting TV cooking shows while in office.

Thailand’s prime minister awaited a Constitutional Court verdict today on whether he will be forced out of office for hosting TV cooking shows – yet another twist in a deepening national political crisis.

Thailand’s beleaguered prime minister defended himself today against accusations that he broke the law by hosting a television cooking show while in office, an offence that could force him to resign.

Thai police today warned students to avoid street protests after a gunman shot and wounded two students demonstrating against the country’s prime minister, raising new fears of violence in the country’s tense political crisis.

Thailand’s prime minister refused again to give in to protesters determined to oust him, but offered an unconventional compromise – a referendum on his fate.

Thailand’s prime minister today refused to cede to protesters determined to oust him, but offered a referendum on his fate aimed at ending the political crisis that has raised fears of economic chaos.

Embattled prime minister Samak Sundaravej called the political crisis in Thailand a shameful embarrassment for the country today, but vowed not to resign or dissolve parliament, saying it was his job to protect democracy.

Tourists and backpackers travelling through Thailand were tonight warned to exercise extreme caution.

The political crisis gripping Thailand could damage vital tourism trade, experts said today.

Thailand was plunged further into political crisis today when the Election Commission ruled that the governing People’s Power Party committed electoral fraud and should be dissolved.

THAILAND’S parliament has convened an emergency session at the request of the country’s prime minister, who acknowledged that his administration cannot control spiralling anti-government protests.

Thailand’s prime minister called an emergency session of parliament today after vowing not to resign as pressure mounted with anti-government protesters occupying his headquarters for a sixth day.

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej vowed today that he will not resign despite growing pressure for him to step down as anti-government protesters occupied his headquarters for a fifth day.

THAI police used tear gas to disperse a crowd of several thousand anti-government protesters who were besieging city police headquarters.

Anti-government protesters in Thailand have formed a human chain around their leaders, fearing they will be arrested for the takeover of the prime minister’s office compound.

Thousands of demonstrators occupying the Thai prime minister’s office compound beat back an effort by riot police to remove them today and vowed to stay until the government resigns.

THOUSANDS of Thai protesters stormed a state- run TV station and the seat of government yesterday, in what Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said was an effort to provoke another coup.

The Thai Attorney General’s office said today it had filed a writ asking the Supreme Court to seize more than £1bn (€1.2bn) in cash and assets from deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thailand's prime minister Samak Sundaravej said today he had no plans to ask Britain for the extradition of fugitive ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra or to revoke his diplomatic passport.

US president George Bush told China bluntly today that America was strongly opposed to the way the communist government repressed its people.

Corruption charges in a third case against former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra were accepted by a court today.

Cambodia is seeking regional intervention in its territorial dispute with Thailand after talks between the two neighbours failed to end a military stand-off around an ancient cliff-side temple.

Thai prosecutors filed new corruption charges against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra today for alleged abuse of authority to benefit his family business.

Thousands of people marched to Thailand’s national police headquarters today to demand legal cases against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra are no longer delayed.

Thailand’s prime minister Samak Sundaravej today refused to bow to demands of anti-government protesters who vowed to besiege his office until he resigned.

About 1,000 protesters, demanding the resignation of the prime minister, have broken through a police cordon around Thailand’s seat of government which the demonstrators vow to peacefully besiege.

International aid agencies mustered everything from anti-snake venom kits to plastic roofing today, warning that a second wave of deaths would follow the Burma cyclone disaster unless the military regime let in more aid quickly.

A second storm was heading towards Burma’s devastated Irrawaddy delta region tonight.

The UN pleaded with Burma’s secretive government today to open its doors to foreign experts who could help up to two million cyclone victims facing disease and starvation.

Burma today finally let in the first major international aid airlift for survivors of the cyclone that is thought to have killed more than 100,000 people.

Thailand successfully hosted its leg of the Olympic torch relay today, as minor anti-Chinese protests remained peaceful and thousands of people followed the flame through the streets of the Thai capital, Bangkok.

Thailand’s leg of the Olympic torch run got off to a peaceful start today, as thousands of flag-waving supporters in Bangkok’s Chinatown celebrated while a lone protester stood nearby.

Thailand’s deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra said today he will seek court permission for a trip to England, his first journey abroad since returning home to face criminal charges.

Deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra today confirmed he will return to Thailand on tomorrow but vowed to stay out of politics forever.

Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be greeted at the airport by senior officials in Thailand’s new government when he returns tomorrow from 17 months in exile.

Thailand's king officially endorsed an ally of ousted premier and Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister today.

Loyalists of deposed Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra captured 233 of 480 seats in the lower house of parliament to win Sunday's national election, it was announced today.

Thailand’s rival political parties began battling today to cobble together a coalition government after parliamentary elections.

Allies of deposed Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared victory in country’s first post-coup election today, but failed to secure an absolute majority in the parliament according to unofficial results from the Election Commission.