Bangkok - Thousands of protestors gathered in Bangkok Saturday to protest the government of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva one day after he lifted emergency law in the capital. About 2,000 followers of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship
(UDD) had assembled at Sanam Luang - the Royal Grounds - by 5 pm. Organizers expect 5,000 to attend the demonstration that was scheduled to end at 11 pm.

Bangkok  - US-based Natureworks LLC, the world's largest producer of bioplastics, has shortlisted four countries - Thailand, China, Malaysia and Singapore - for a 100-million-dollar plant in Asia, news reports said Saturday.

Marc Verbruggen, president of the Minneapolis-based company, was in Bangkok recently to assess Thailand's potential as a base for its Asia plant which is expected to start operations in 2014.

Bangkok - Thai Prime Minster Abhisit Vejjajiva on Friday lifted the state of emergency he had imposed 12 days ago on Bangkok and surrounding provinces to quell anti-government protests. Abhisit announced early Friday at the end of a two-day joint session of the lower and upper houses of parliament that he had decided to lift the state of emergency to show the government's sincerity in seeking national reconciliation.

Small groups of a soldiers posted at various sensitive locations throughout the capital had been withdrawn from the streets Friday morning.

Bangkok - Violent street protests that had to be quelled by the army last week are expected to cost Thailand 1.4 to 2.8 billion dollars in lost tourism revenues, a Thai think tank said Thursday.

Thailand was rocked by anti-government street protests earlier this month, culminating with a crackdown on April 13 to 14 by army troops. Two were killed and 123 injured in the violence.

Bangkok  - Thailand's army chief, General Anupong Paojinda, admitted Thursday that bullets used in last week's assassination attempt on media mongol Sondhi Limthingkul came from a military arsenal used for shooting practice.

Unidentified gunmen on April 17 riddled the car of Sondhi, a core leader of protests that shut down Bangkok's two airports last year, with more than 100 bullets from AK-47, M16 and HK33 assault rifles.

Sondhi survived the attack with minor head injuries from bullet fragments.

Bangkok  - With street violence and assassination attempts on the rise in Thailand, automobile companies have found a lucrative new growth market - bulletproof cars - news reports said Thursday.

This week Germany's BMW AG launched its X5 Security Plus model in Thailand, marketing the vehicle as the first to offer protection against AK-47 assault rifle attacks while Ford Motor Co has offered two bulletproof cars to the deputy prime minister in charge of security, The Nation newspaper reported.