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| Thai MPs elect new prime minister | Thai MPs elect new prime minister |
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| The brother-in-law of ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra has won a parliamentary vote to become the country's new prime minister. | The brother-in-law of ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra has won a parliamentary vote to become the country's new prime minister. |
| Somchai Wongsawat, whose candidacy was supported by the governing People Power Party, won a simple majority of votes in Bangkok's lower house of parliament. | Somchai Wongsawat, whose candidacy was supported by the governing People Power Party, won a simple majority of votes in Bangkok's lower house of parliament. |
| Mr Somchai became acting PM last week after a court forced his predessesor, Samak Sundaravej, to step down. | Mr Somchai became acting PM last week after a court forced his predessesor, Samak Sundaravej, to step down. |
| Protesters in Bangkok claim the present government is a proxy for Mr Thaksin. | Protesters in Bangkok claim the present government is a proxy for Mr Thaksin. |
| Clashes between government supporters and opponents have left one person dead, and anti-government protesters have vowed to continue their three-week-old occupation of the main government complex until the PPP is forced out of power. | |
| Decisions scrutinised | |
| Mr Somchai, 61, won the simple majority vote after five days of negotiations. | |
| His government is expected to face continued opposition because Mr Somchai is married to Mr Thaksin's sister, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok. | |
| Every decision the new prime minister makes will be scrutinised for signs of his brother-in-law's hand in it, our correspondent adds. | |
| Mr Thaksin fled to Britain in July to avoid corruption charges, which he says are politically motivated. | |
| With the formality of a parliamentary vote behind him, the immediate task now confronting the Mr Somchai is to get the government functioning again, our correspondent says. | |
| Protesters have been occupying key government buildings in Bangkok, demanding the resignation of the government. |