Cellular Phone Company Offers Free Phones to Civil Servants in Thailand.

Oct. 5--Cellular operator Advanced Info Service is to open a new front in the mobile telephone war with a new campaign aimed at giving free phones to civil servants and state enterprise employees nationwide.

The promotion has raised hackles at rival Total Access Communication, which has said the AIS campaign represents another step in the firm's attempt to dominate the overall market.

AIS is also the flagship of the Shin Corporation, the telecommunications giant founded and controlled by Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister and head of the Thai Rak Thai Party.

Mr Thaksin yesterday said he had no knowledge of the promotion offer, and added that any programme would have to be in line with government procurement regulations.

However, he said if civil servants wanted to purchase or participate in a phone offer on their own accord, it was a personal matter unrelated to the government.

Gen Prawat Nikankul, acting director of the Thai Rak Thai Party, denied that the telephone campaign had anything to do with the party itself. AIS had sent a letter last week to party members notifying them of the offer, he said.

The campaign would give free handsets to civil servants, state enterprise employees, MP advisers, village headmen and local district administrators.