One of Thailand's largest conglomerates, Charoen Pokphand Group, has announced a major restructuring.

The group plans to sell off non-core assets and merge twelve key subsdiaries into a single agricultural business company which will be listed on the Thai Stock Exchange.

Correspondents say the restructuring was essential to enable CP Group to maintain competiveness during the economic crisis.

In another move, the Thai cabinet has agreed to the sale of more than three-hundred million shares in Thai Airways International, reducing the government's shareholding to just over seventy per cent.

It's in line with a series of privatisations agreed as a condition for IMF help to the Thai economy.

Thai farmers want some of the IMF money to be used to set up a debt-relief fund for them.

They've threatened to bring tens of thousands of people to demonstrate in the capital, Bangkok, later this month unless the government complies.