Bangkok  - Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and seven cabinet ministers on Friday survived a no-confidence motion against their four-month performance.

Samak won the motion with 280 votes in his favour compared with 162 opposed, and one abstention. His seven ministers won with similar tallies.

The Democrat opposition party launched a censure debate against Samak and seven cabinet ministers on Tuesday, accusing the 73-year-old premier with a variety of charges including incompetence, senility and working for the benefit of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

With the opposition holding only 164 seats in the 480 seat Lower House, there was little likelihood of the censure motion succeeding. (dpa)