The WHO meeting between June 30 and July 6 will be held at the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre and attended by 800 public health officials and activists from 191 countries. The session is the second general meeting of member countries under a sub tobacco-control protocol.

Among major proposals are working out laws and regulations to enable smokers to sue tobacco companies for smoking-related diseases.

Gasohol no fun for Ferrari

A German businessman based in Pattaya is believed to be seeking Bt24 million in damages from a petrol station attendant who allegedly filled the tank of his Ferrari with the wrong type of petrol on Sunday night.

Bruno Pingel, 43, a contractor for a luxury condominium project in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district, yesterday claimed that he clearly said to the unidentified attendant to fill up his Bt24 million Ferrari with unleaded 95 petrol, but instead he filled it with gasohol 95. Pingel lodged a complaint with Muang Chon Buri police yesterday morning when his car broke down last night after travelling 10km from an Esso gas station in Bang Saen. He said the wrong petrol had damaged his Ferrari's engine and a computer unit controlling the car's functions.

Lawyer pleads guilty

Thana Benchathikul, a lawyer for deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, appeared in the Criminal Court yesterday to plead guilty to a charge of contempt of court. The case relates to his criticism of the judges who presided in the trial of the three former election commissioners last year.

The Criminal Court filed a complaint with police accusing lawyer Thana of contempt of court for giving a media interview criticising its verdict on the three commissioners. If convicted, he faces a jail term of between one and seven years and a fine of up to Bt14,000.