Sumeth Damrongchaitham (L), Chief Operating Officer, corporate support and business development department of GMM Grammy Plc, shakes hand with Thagoon Boonpan, Editor of Matichon newspaper group, before a news conference at the Stock Exchange of Thailand in Bangkok September 16, 2005. Music tycoon Paiboon Damrongchaitham abandoned his bid to take over Thailand's most respected newspaper Matichon on Friday, after triggering an impassioned defence of press freedom by critics who alleged he was acting for Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Paiboon would sell some of the shares in the Thai-language political daily his Grammy PCL had just bought to avoid having to make an offer for the rest of the stock, the two firms said in a statement. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom CS/mk