Deputy agriculture minister Virat Rattanaset became the latest victim of a string of scandals that has recently plagued the 11-month-old administration of premier Chuan Leekpai.

Education minister Chumphol Silpa-archa, who recently fell ill and was hospitalised, also said he would resign due to ill health and give up his parliamentary seat.

Thai opposition and industry groups have accused some farm ministry officials of profiteering by using government funds to buy overpriced seeds from certain companies.

``I have been explaining in vain my innocence and that there was no corruption involved in the (seed) project, but nobody seems to have cared about my explanation. So I am submitting my resignation today,'' Virat told reporters.

Health minister Rakkiat Sukthana and his deputy quit earlier thismonth following a scandal over the pricing of medicine bound for rural government hospitals.

Some cabinet ministers have been tainted by charges of corruption in the award of some government telecommunications contracts and reports of illegal logging in the Salween Natural Park along the western Thai-Myanmar border.

The spate of ministerial resignations comes ahead of a cabinet reshuffle expected to take place soon, following a decision by Chuan's core Democrat Party to include a major opposition party in the ruling six-party coalition.

The government agreed on Monday to allow the Chart Pattana Party (CPP) to become a member of government in order to shore up its current slim majority in parliament.

After the CPP's entry, the government will control 257 seats in the 388-seat parliament, compared to the 206 it has now.

There has been a lot of jockeying this week by several politicians from coalition partners for ministerial posts ahead of the anticipated cabinet reshuffle.

``Problems arise everytime there is a cabinet reshuffle, but I am confident that we can cope with them,'' Chuan told reporters on Thursday.

Interior minister and Democrat Party secretary-general Sanan Kajornprasart, who engineered the CPP's inclusion in the ruling coalition, said he expected the CPP's formal admission and cabinet reshuffle to take place early next week. ``There is no rush to do all this. It can wait until early next week,'' Sanan told reporters.