PRESS DIGEST - Thai newspapers - August 27

BANGKOK Aug 27 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Thai newspapers on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

POLITICS AND GENERAL NEWS

- Fifty nine key leaders and members of the People's Alliance of Democracy have surrendered to police to answer charges in connection with the blockades of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports (BANGKOK POST)

- Thailand is pledging to resume 1.4 billion baht ($45 million) in assistance to Cambodia for a road development project in a further sign that ties between the two countries returning to normal (BANGKOK POST)

- Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout will on Friday lodge petitions with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and the Bang Kwang Prison commander to stop his extradition to the United States, lawyer Lak Nittiwatanawichan said (THE NATION)

BUSINESS

- The fate of 76 industrial projects in the Map Ta Phut industrial estate, suspended by a court injunction last year, is expected to be known next week (BANGKOK POST)

- Indonesia is seeking more than $1.1 billion in compensation for environmental damage caused by an oil spill at a rig operated by a unit of PTT Exploration and Production PTTE.BK (THE NATION)

- A commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission said he would amend the draft rules preventing the foreign dominance in the local telecom operators in correspond to the recommendations in the first hearing of the draft last Friday (THE NATION)

- Even though inflation should remain within targets for the near future, policymakers must remain vigilant against imbalances within the overall economy, according to central bank Deputy Governor Bandid Nijathaworn (BANGKOK POST)

- Ford Motor Company (F.N) and Mazda Motor Corp (7261.T) have decided to invest a total of $350 million in their AutoAlliance Thailand joint venture to support the production of next-generation pickup trucks (THE NATION)

- Thoresen Thai Agencies TTA.BK, Thailand's largest dry-bulk carrier, expects to conclude up to two mergers and acquisition deals this year as it foresees the core shipping business to soften further in 2011 (BANGKOK POST) ($1=31.31 baht)