Opposition Democrats inching toward power

Thailand's parliament is set to vote for a new prime minister on Monday, with the opposition Democrat Party favourite to emerge at the head of a weak coalition government as the economy flirts with recession.

Democrat Secretary-General Suthep Thaugusban said that trying to revive the export- and tourism-dependent economy, suffering a double blow from the global slowdown and months of domestic political strife, would be the No 1 concern.

"Our first priority is the economy. We need to restore foreign investors' confidence, luring them back to Thailand, making them confident of the country's potential," he told Reuters in an interview.