Opposition favourites to win ahead of Thai elections

Bangkok: Thailand's parliament votes for a new prime minister on Monday, with the opposition Democrats favourites to emerge at the head of a weak coalition government as the economy flirts with recession.

Another small political party pledged on Sunday to back Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who has made reviving the export and tourism-dependent economy his top priority.

Pradit Pataraprasit, secretary general of Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana, said the party's nine MPs would support Abhisit in the vote scheduled for 9:30am.

Parliament is choosing a new prime minister because Somchai Wongsawat, brother-in-law of ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra, was sacked by the courts after his People Power Party (PPP) was found guilty of fraud in the December 2007 election that brought it to power.

A day after the ruling, the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) ended a blockade of Bangkok's main airports that had caused chaos for hundreds of thousands of travellers.

Thousands of pro-Thaksin "red shirts" are expected to gather at parliament on Monday to support their candidate for prime minister, former national police chief Pracha Promnok.