Bangkok - The Thai government Wednesday entered a partnership with the online marketplace giant eBay to promote the kingdom's e-commerce, which already amounted to an estimated 1 billion dollars last year.

Thailand's Department of Industrial Promotion signed an agreement under which eBay specialists will provide workshops for small to medium sized Thai companies on how to leverage e-commerce safely and sell online successfully.

The arrangement includes waivers of 25 per cent discounts for the companies' first 100 transactions on eBay.

Bangkok  - Failing US automotive giant General Motors laid off 790 of its 3,000 labour force in Thailand, where orders for its vehicles plummeted 56 per cent last month, media reports said Wednesday.

The axing of 790 jobs followed GM Thailand's closure of its local assembly plant for two months to avoid an inventory buildup as export orders fell off.

GM is one of 15 international automobile makers with assembly and manufacturing plants in Thailand to supply the domestic and export markets.

Yangon  - Myanmar's military supremo Senior General Than Shwe met with Thailand's army-commander-in-chief who is on an official visit to discuss border issues and the Rohingya refugee problem, state media reports said Wednesday.

Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, met Thai Army Commander-ion-Chief General Anupong Paojinda and his "goodwill delegation" Tuesday at the Myanmar's military's new capital of Naypyitaw, 350 kilometres north of the former capital of Yangon, The New Light of Myanmar daily reported.

Bangkok - The state-run Export-Import Bank of Thailand on Tuesday opened a branch in Moscow to facilitate Thai-Russian trade.

The Moscow branch, the Thai EXIM International Co, is to provide Thai exporters with advance payment bonds, trade facilitation, business-matching services and act as a middleman in "arranging proper protection for undeliverable Thai export goods left unattended at a Russian port," Thai Deputy Finance Minister Pruektichai Damrongrut said in a statement.

The state-owned Export-Import Bank was set up to promote Thai trade abroad, especially in new markets.