Thailand's new parliament to open this weekend

Thailand's new parliament will hold its opening ceremony on March 14 following last month's election, a Royal Gazette announcement said on Wednesday.

* The general election was won by Prime Minister AnutinCharnvirakul's Bhumjaithai Party, which took 191 of the 500seats in parliament, followed by the People's Party on 120 andPheu Thai on 74. * The newly convened house is expected to hold its firstmeeting on March 15 to elect a speaker and deputy speaker,Siripong Angkasakulkiat, deputy leader of the Bhumjaithai Party,told Reuters earlier this week. * The house will likely vote on a candidate for primeminister on March 19, Siripong added. * Bhumjaithai has said it will form a coalition withthird-place Pheu Thai and several smaller parties - an alliancethat would hold 290 seats. * The new government is expected to begin working in April,Bhumjaithai's Siripong said.