The 140 senators endorsed by the EC have been paid Bt14 million each month since they were elected on April 19.

The Secretariat to the Senate is required to pay the 200 caretaker senators until the new senators replace them officially, as a result of the EC's formal endorsement of all of them.

The EC has suspended some senators-elect following complaints that they violated electoral laws ahead of the Senate poll, but has done little to complete an investigation.

Khomson Phokhong, a law lecturer at Sukhothaithammathirat University, said the EC was responsible for the monthly waste of more than Bt20 million if it could not justify its delay in completing the investigation.

BOT chief : litics not for me'

The Bank of Thailand Governor, MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, said yesterday he had not been approached to join any political party. "I will never become a politician," he insisted.

The BOT chief's remarks follow speculation linking him to the Chat Thai Party. Pridiyathorn reportedly dined with Banharn Silpa-archa, the Chat Thai leader, which sparked rumours he might leave the central bank to join politics.

"I will continue doing my best for the country but it is not necessary to join politics. Being in politics could backfire and I'm not in a position to fight others," he said.

Fotball fever : wl breaks out

Fights have already begun in Thailand over who will win the World Cup. The protagonists, though, were reportedly tourists from Britain and Australia.

Police were called early yesterday to a footpath in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district, where an injured British man was found bleeding from a head wound.

Police said Gretar Valdearsson, 38, was taken to Pattaya Memorial hospital at about 2.30am.

A Spanish tourist, Nicolas Marsei, 19, told police that Valdearsson was drinking at the Living Doll go-go bar near Walking Street, where a broadcast of previous World Cups was being aired.

Two Australians in the bar were allegedly upset by a claim by Valdearsson that England would win the upcoming tournament and that the Australian team were sure to be knocked out in the first round, because they're playing in the same group as Brazil and Croatia.

The comments started a quarrel between the three, which ended with Valdearsson being hit on the head with a bottle of beer, Marsei told police.

The Australians escaped and are now being sought by the police.