Bangkok - A retired career diplomat was appointed Thai foreign minister Saturday in time to lead fresh talks with Cambodia over a bitter border dispute.

Tej Bunnag is widely considered a "professional choice" following the resignation of his successor Noppadon Pattama earlier this month, according to local reports.

Noppadon, the former lawyer for controversial former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, became tripped up by appearing to give ground to Cambodia in exchange, it is rumoured, favours for his old boss.

Bangkok - Thailand and Cambodia are to hold talks next week in Cambodia to try to defuse an escalating row over joint claims to land adjoining an ancient Hindu temple on their border, government officials confirmed Friday.

Joint talks between the two countries' foreign ministers are scheduled Monday in Siem Reap, Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat confirmed.

It remained to be seen who would head the team for Thailand, which is currently without a foreign minister.

Phnom Penh - The Thai embassy in Cambodia called Thai nationals for a meeting Thursday to advise on options in case they require evacuation after upcoming national elections, a Thai business representative and Cambodian officials said.

A representative from the Thai Business Association of Cambodia who declined to be named said the Thai embassy had called a meeting Thursday in Phnom Penh to discuss emergency options for Thai citizens in case of problems after national elections scheduled for Sunday.

However, she said most Thai businesses were so far not affected by cross-border tensions and continued business as usual. Cambodian government officials said they were aware of the meeting and stressed it was routine consular protocol.

Bangkok - Exports of Honda products manufactured in Thailand increased 18 per cent in the second quarter of 2008, year-on-year, earning 28.5 billion baht (856.5 million dollars) in foreign exchange, Asian Honda Motor Company announced Thursday.

Exports for the first half of 2008 amounted to 55.6 billion baht (1.7 billion dollars), Honda's Bangkok-based regional headquarters revealed.

Honda has been using Thailand as an export base since 1987.

Bangkok - A Thai man drove his passenger car into the Chao Phrya River in an apparent suicide, media reports said Thursday.

Sakda Pholfarang, 41, a single male with no regular employment, on Wednesday morning drove his Toyota Vios into the Chao Phrya river off a pier outside a Buddhist temple in Nonthaburi, a province neighbouring Bangkok.

When bystanders dove in to the river to save him, Sakda shouted at them to stay away, rolled up his windows and sank to the bottom.

Sakda's brother Phichai Pholfarang, 37, expressed surprise over the vehicular suicide, saying his brother may have been suffering stress.

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian palm oil giant Sime Darby and Thailand's PTT Chemical on Wednesday signed an agreement to jointly own a major producer of oleochemicals in a deal costing the Thai company 104 million euros (164 million dollars).

PTT Chemical, the largest chemicals producer in Thailand, agreed to buy a 50-per-cent stake from the German chemicals maker Cognis in the Malaysian firm Cognis Oleochemicals, one of the world's leading producers of oleochemicals, or chemicals derived from biological oils or fats.

The other 50 per cent of the venture is held by Sime Darby, the world's largest listed palm-oil producer. The two companies would now share ownership and control of Cognis Oleochemicals.