Bangkok  - Thailand's Foreign Ministry issued a statement Friday that talks between Bangkok and Phnom Penh over disputed border areas were postponed by mutual agreement for internal procedures and not because of political tension in Thailand, as some media reported.

The "meeting has been postponed, not because of Thailand's domestic political situation, but because both sides still need to complete their relevant internal procedures," the press release states.

Anti-government protests in Bangkok by the Thai opposition People's Alliance for Democracy movement, which escalated Tuesday and continued to be tense Friday.

Bangkok - Thai police Friday forced their way through protesters to enter a government building in a compound that anti-government protesters seized Tuesday.

Police said they were not there to disperse the demonstrators, although protest leaders claimed they were.

"We are not dispersing the crowd. Police did not use force on protesters because this is a sensitive matter," deputy police spokesman Major General Surapol Thuanthong said.

Bangkok  - Thailand's exports hit a record high of about 17 billion US dollars in July, but the month still saw a trade deficit with imports hitting about 18 billion dollars, the Fiscal Policy Offi

Phnom Penh - Informal talks between Bangkok and Phnom Penh over disputed border areas were halted abruptly and scheduled formal talks postponed indefinitely amid political tension in Thailand, a Cambodian official said Thursday.

Defence Ministry Secretary of State Neang Phat said the Thai delegation arrived Wednesday in Siem Reap, 300 kilometres north of Phnom Penh, and the two sides had talked amicably before formal talks scheduled for Friday were abruptly cancelled.

Bangkok  - Thailand's criminal court issued arrest warrants Wednesday for eight leaders of an anti-government protest group that took over several state buildings to try to force the administration to resign.

Tens of thousands of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) supporters seized several government buildings early Tuesday and held them most of the day until they converged near the prime minister's compound in the evening.