BANGKOK - THAILAND'S new government will prioritise boosting the flagging economy, with premier Abhisit Vejjajiva set to head up the financial team, Democrat Party members said on Tuesday.

Mr Abhisit, the Democrat Party leader who was elected as Thailand's new prime minister by parliament on Monday, told reporters he would oversee economic matters, as the kingdom struggles after months of street protests.

New PM must act swiftly: business leaders BANGKOK - ONE of the new Thai government's most urgent tasks will be restoring confidence in the kingdom's economy, battered by the closure of airports and global financial woes, industry leaders say. Democrat Party leader and new prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who won a parliamentary vote on Monday after the previous ruling party was dissolved, has promised to make boosting the sluggish economy a top priority. ... more

He refused to go into detail about possible cabinet posts or government policies until the king issues a decree in the coming days officially installing Mr Abhisit as Thailand's 27th premier.

The 44-year-old Oxford graduate said only that he was 'preparing for work' and was ready to carry out his duty.

'I am still not accustomed to people calling me prime minister,' he joked.

Mr Suthep Tuagsuban, Democrat Party secretary general, told reporters that the financial portfolio was still being hammered out, with the new cabinet list expected by the end of the week.

'Abhisit will oversee the economic team because this government gives priority to economic matters,' Mr Suthep told reporters.

He said the ministries would be divided up between Democrats and representatives from their smaller coalition partners, whose defection from the former ruling party clinched the win for Mr Abhisit.

'Most ministers in the cabinet are members of parliament, but those who are not MPs who will join the cabinet are competent, and I will begin courting them after the royal appointment of the prime minister,' he said.

Mr Abhisit's nomination came nearly two weeks after a court dissolved the ruling party, which was linked to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Dec 2 ruling also brought an end to a week-long anti-government blockade of Bangkok's two airports, which left up to 350,000 passengers stranded and cost Thailand billions of dollars in lost revenue.

Mr Abhisit is Thailand's third prime minister in four months, and business leaders hope he will be able to restore confidence in the kingdom's economy, battered by the closure of airports and global financial woes.

Thailand's acting finance minister has warned that economic growth could be as low as two percent next year. -- AFP