He said PTT's offer was limited to Jet stations in Thailand while Conoco also operated retail sales business in Malaysia.

Chaiwat said it was not known if Conoco would require potential buyers to buy out its businesses in both Thailand and Malaysia.

Gasohol price cut

The National Energy Policy Council yesterday cut the required contribution from gasohol sales to the Oil Fund from Bt1.50 to Bt1 per litre.

In effect, the retail price of gasohol 95 will be Bt2.50 per litre cheaper than that of octane-95 petrol. The price of gasohol 91 will be at least Bt2 cheaper than that for octane-95 petrol.

The reduced contribution requirement is expected to boost gasohol consumption. The change is effective from today.

The council yesterday also adjusted the gasohol-91 ex-refinery pricing formula to reflect the actual production costs better.

Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand said that the ministry wanted to promote the use of 1 million litres of ethanol a day, which is enough to produce 10 million litres of gasohol; 60 per cent of which would be gasohol 95 and the rest gasohol 91.

Poultry ban

Tajikistan has introduced temporary restrictions on poultry imports from Russia, Turkey, Japan, China, Thailand, Iran and Pakistan, the country's chief veterinary official said yesterday.

The decision was made in response to recent outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 virus in those countries, Mullojon Amirbekov said.

RIA Novosti News Agency quoted him as saying the two-month ban was part of tougher control measures launched earlier this month, and would cover imports of eggs, poultry meat and poultry products.