PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers - August 25

BANGKOK Aug 25 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Thai newspapers on Wednesday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

POLITICS AND GENERAL NEWS

- Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra might be able to maintain good personal relations with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, but he was no longer useful for Phnom Penh in relations with Thailand, analysts said (THE NATION )

- Hun Sen has ordered the release of three Thais being detained in Siem Reap after they were arrested for entering Cambodia illegally (BANGKOK POST)

- The extradition of Viktor Bout has become embroiled in a new and potential bitter legal controversy just hours before the alleged Russian arms dealer is scheduled to be handed over to U.S. authorities under tight security at the Don Muang air force base (BANGKOK POST)

BUSINESS

- The Bank of Thailand's Monetary Policy Committee is expected to raise its policy interest rate again by 25 basis points to 1.75 percent, the second such rise since April 2009 , in light of better-than-expected economic performance driven by exports and domestic consumption (THE NATION)

- The Map Ta Phut crisis is coming to a new climax, with companies led by PTT PTT.BK and Siam Cement Group SCC.BK planning to resume suspended projects immediately, following the official publication of the National Environmental Board's list of harmful activities amid renewed protests from those opposing their plans (THE NATION)

- Italian-Thai Development ITD.BK might emerge as the winner of the first contract for the Blue Line, because recalculation of the cost had brought its bid lower than that of the original winner, CH Karnchang CK.BK (THE NATION)

- A consortium of five private and state telecommunications firms -- Advanced Info Service ADVA.BK, DTAC DTAC.BK, True Move TRUE.BK, TOT and CAT Telecom -- has insisted Dec. 31 as a deadline for mobile phone number portability services as operators must be ready at the same time for the switch to work (BANGKOK POST)

- The cabinet on Tuesday approved the long-delayed expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport, estimated to cost 62 billion baht ($1.97 billion) (BANGKOK POST)

- Many rice exporters have shown strong interest in purchasing about a million tonnes of government rice, as market supplies are tight (THE NATION)

- Electricity Generating EGCO.BK is considering investment worth 21 billion baht in total to build a new 800-megawatt power unit and three small ower producer projects (BANGKOK POST) ($1=31.50 baht)