Thai election candidates begin campaigns

Official campaigning for Thailand's first general elections since last year's military coup began today as 18 parties registered candidates.

Many of the 480 seats in the lower house of Parliament are likely to be won by the Democrat Party and a new group comprised of supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the People's Power Party, but neither is expected to win an outright majority in the December 23 balloting.