Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has assured the public the name of her brother Thaksin is not on the list to be endorsed for pardon this year.

Ms Shinawatra said in a press conference that the self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin, who is facing graft charges is excluded from the list containing the names of 20,000 convicts about to receive royal pardon decree on the occasion of His Majesty the King's 84th birthday on Dec 5.

"The decree is in line with the cabinet resolution and that the government's position is for everything to follow the law and tradition and to be non-discriminatory," she told reporters.

Nonetheless, Ms Shinawatra admitted that bringing the self-exiled Thaksin back is indeed one of the pledges stated by the Pheu Thai Party during the political campaign. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung also vowed on this pledge.

She, however, reiterated that all cases must proceed according to the law and for the best interests of the country and equality of all people, adding she will not give "special treatment" to anyone.

Justice Minister Pracha Promnok said the draft royal pardon decree would still adhere to its earlier pledge to exclude people found guilty of drug offenses and corruption.

This applies to Thaksin as the Supreme Court sentenced him to two years in jail in 2008 for abusing his authority as premier to help his then-wife Potjaman na Pombejra buy a state-owned plot of land in the Ratchadaphisek area of Bangkok in 2003.

The Council of State secretary-general Atchaporn Jaruchinda said the council had scrutinized the draft decree in line with the traditions and conventions and the bans in the decree are retained.

The Bangkok Post said in a related report quoting Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm saying that Thaksin may not be able to return this year and added that other cases are still pending against him. Therefore, it serves little purpose for the government to push for a royal pardon for Thaksin at this stage. He said he is waiting for the right time to push for the amnesty law. Amidst the politicking, Thailand has a far greater problem in solving the floods brought about by unusually heavy rains.

Floods and economic growth

Thailand is still reeling from more than two months of flooding affecting the country's industrial estates and exports. Although the country managed to grow 3.5 percent year-on-year in the three months through September, the devastating floods also slashed down full year projections for growth.

"The rebound in the third quarter was due to the recovery of exports in the industrial sector, which was affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan," the National Economic and Social Development Board secretary-general Arkom Termpitayapaisit said at a briefing Monday.

Thailand's GDP gained 0.5 percent in the third quarter from the previous three months, the NESDB reported.

But the NESDB revised its 2011 growth forecast to 1.5 percent, down from 3.5-4.0 percent previously, blaming the massive floods that are still affecting large areas of the country.

The flooding, triggered by months of unusually heavy rains, have killed more than 600 people and damaged the homes and livelihoods of millions around the country.