Thais bullish on Reds deal

Thaksin's lottery plan was heavily criticised in Thailand

Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra insists his plan to buy a stake in Liverpool is still on course.

Thaksin was forced to scrap plans for a special lottery to fund his £65m move for a 30% stake in the club.

"As of today the negotiation with Liverpool is still on. I only withdrew the lottery fund-raising plan.

"But I will come up with other means of fund-raising which will not affect the people. There are many other methods for fund-raising," said Thaksin.

The Thai PM has said Liverpool have agreed in principle to sell a stake to Thailand.

But he conceded that last-minute problems and checks of the club's financial and legal standing mean a final signing may be delayed until July.

Thaksin had originally indicated that he would buy the Liverpool stake with his own money.

But the government later said it would be owned by a new company to be set up under the government's Sports Authority of Thailand.

A £165m one-off state lottery was to have been used to purchase the stake, with the rest being spent on prizes and administration charges.

But the plan was scrapped after fierce opposition from critics, who said it would promote gambling and force the poor to part with their money.

A group of leading academics called for the proposed investment to be declared illegal, claiming that it defied the Thai constitution.