BANGKOK - THAI truck drivers threatened on Wednesday to go on strike next week and block roads to the capital with 400,000 lorries unless the government helps them pay for soaring fuel costs.

The Confederation of Transportation of Thailand (CTT) has handed over its demands to government ministries and Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, giving them a deadline of next Tuesday.

'If there are no measures from the government before June 17, you will see hundreds of thousands of trucks heading to Bangkok from all over the country,' said Mr Thongyoo Khongkhan, secretary general of the CTT.

Mr Thongyoo said that thousands of trucks were already parked at the side of roads across Thailand after the cabinet refused to address their concerns at their weekly meeting on Tuesday.

'The government already realises that it's very hard for truck drivers to survive under present oil prices and inflation,' he said.

'But yesterday we were very disappointed that the government did not even mention our plight.'

Mr Thongyoo said that more than 400,000 lorries nationwide are members of his confederation are ready to comply with the strike.

Demands include that the government provides low price fuel and helps truckers convert their vehicles to use natural gas.

Benchmark global crude prices stormed past the 100-dollar mark for the first time at the start of the year, reaching a record 138 dollars this month.

In Thailand, diesel prices sat at a record high of 41.34 baht (US$1.25 dollars) per litre on Wednesday.

Thousands of truck drivers in Europe are protesting against soaring petrol prices, while demonstrations against fuel price hikes in India left 20 people injured on Tuesday. -- AFP