Bangkok  - A fire that broke out shortly after New Year's Thursday at a popular Bangkok pub killed at least 59 revellers and injured almost 200, police said.

The fire, apparently sparked by a pyrotechnic show to bring in the New York, broke out about 12:20 am (1720 GMT Wednesday) at the popular Satikia Club, which was packed with some 1,000 revellers.

Police Colonel Suphin Sapphuang said 59 people had been confirmed dead - 53 at the scene and six who succumbed later in hospital, reported the Bangkok Post online news service.

Bangkok - A fire that broke

Bangkok  - Road accidents claimed 56 lives and left 635 people injured on the first of the "seven dangerous days of New Year holidays," officials said Wednesday.

Surachai Tharasitpong, permanent secretary of the Transport Ministry, told reporters that there were 596 reported road accidents nationwide on Tuesday, of which 38 per cent were caused by drunk driving.

Bangkok  - Thai thieves killed one man and severely bludgeoned another in a daring midnight duck heist in Ayuthaya province that netted 1,600 fowl, news reports said Wednesday.

Duck herders Kampaeng Saengchan, 58, and Montri Suebjabok, 48, were attacked by unknown assailants at midnight Monday as they kept vigil over the 1,600 birds in Nakorn Luang district of Ayuthaya province, 90 kilometres north of Bangkok, police said.

The duck rustlers tied up both men and beat them severely, killing Kampaeng and leaving Montri with head injuries and both arms broken.

Bangkok  - Thailand's new cabinet launched its administration Tuesday at the foreign ministry, where legislators were forced to gather after Parliament was surrounded by anti-government protestors.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was obliged to announce his government's policy statement at the foreign ministry as thousands of red-shirted members of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) had surrounded Parliament Building since Monday to prevent legislators from entering the premises.

Abhisit, 44, said his government's priorities included restoring international confidence in Thailand, bringing about national reconciliation in the deeply divided nation and assuring economic survival in the face of the global economic crisis.

Bangkok  - Thailand's besieged cabinet on Tuesday shifted the venue for delivering its policy statement from Parliament Building, which is surrounded by anti-government protestors, to the foreign ministry, in an effort to launch their new administration.

"We will commence as soon as a quorum of legislators is met," said Bulanat Samuttalak, spokesman for the Democrat Party which leads Thailand's latest coalition government.