BANGKOK, March 8 (TNA) - Thailand's Criminal Court today gave police another 12 days for further questioning of a notorious suspected Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout, sometimes described as the "Merchant of Death", and refused to grant him release on bail.

Armed Crime Suppression Division (CSD) and police commandos early today escorted the 41-year-old suspect to Court and sought an extension of the detention order to question him another 12 days.

Under Thai law, police can seek the detention of a suspect for further questioning seven times with each time lasting 12 days.

Reasoning that Mr. Bout was a major international criminal, said to be a former Soviet KGB agent (other sources named him as a former Soviet air force officer), police also asked the court not to grant him bail for fear that he would jump bail. The suspect is now being detained at Bangkok Special Prison.

Mr. Bout was arrested Thursday at a luxury hotel in central Bangkok.

Pol. Lt-Gen. Adisorn Nonsi, commissioner of the Central Investigation bureau, said yesterday that Mr. Bout could face up to 10 years in prison or a maximum fine of Bt200,000 in Thailand if found guilty on charges of procuring weapons for terrorists.

According to Pol. Col. Kittisak Sukwattanakul of the CSD, the suspect continued to deny the charges and said only that he had traveled to Thailand twice as a tourist. Mr. Bout's passport and visa to Thailand have been revoked in advance on police concerns that he would be released on bail.

The Russian embassy has requested the Thai authorities to extradite Mr. Bout from Thailand so that he would serve his jail sentence there.

Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama said he had met Russian ambassador to Thailand yesterday and discussed Mr. Bout's arrest.

The ambassador asked for details of the suspect from the Thai authorities and was confident that the issue would not hurt warm relations between the two countries, Mr. Noppadon said. (TNA)