AJAX :: Forcing Postback On Textbox - Update Not Working

Hoping I have placed my question in the correct forum.

I am writing an application that simply updates a text box (contained in a AJAX UpdatePanel) via a thread. the eventual idea being that the textbox will be placed in the master page, and a thread will poll a table to check for status messages. 90% of the code works as it should, the only side that is not working, is physically updating the textbox. The value of the textbox is being updated, but it is not being reflected on the screen. When the text is updated in the textbox, the OnChange event is not firing (as it shouldn't), but I still need the textbox to be updated. The textbox is being updated prgramatically, and not by the user.

When the thread triggers, it just fires an event, which right now just updates the textbox with the current date time. I've tried a million and one different ways, but still no luck :( Anyone know where I am going wrong?

Here is my code:

<asp:ScriptManager ID="ScriptManager1" runat="server">
</asp:ScriptManager>
<asp:UpdatePanel ID="UpdatePanel1" UpdateMode="Always" runat="server">
<ContentTemplate>
<asp:Table ID="Table1" runat="server">
<asp:TableRow>
<asp:TableCell>
<asp:Label ID="lblThread1" runat="server" Text="Thread1"></asp:Label>
</asp:TableCell>
<asp:TableCell>
<asp:TextBox ID="txtThread1" AutoPostBack="true" runat="server"></asp:TextBox>
</asp:TableCell>
<asp:TableCell>
<asp:Button ID="btnstartThread1" runat="server" Text="Start Thread 1" onclick="btnstartThread1_Click" />
</asp:TableCell>
<asp:TableCell>
<asp:Button ID="btnStopThread1" runat="server" Text="Stop Thread 1" onclick="btnStopThread1_Click" />
</asp:TableCell>
</asp:TableRow>
</asp:Table>
</ContentTemplate>
</asp:UpdatePanel>

public partial class _Default : System.Web.UI.Page
{
private static clsThread1 _objObject1 = new clsThread1();
private static Thread _objThread1;

//****************************************
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (!IsPostBack)
{
_objObject1.UpdateThread1Time += new EventHandler(UpdateThread1TimeEvent);
}
}
//****************************************
private void UpdateThread1TimeEvent(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
this.txtThread1.Text = System.DateTime.Now.ToString();
}
//****************************************
protected void btnstartThread1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
_objThread1 = new Thread(new ThreadStart(_objObject1.StartProcess));
_objThread1.Start();
while (!_objThread1.IsAlive) ;
}
//****************************************
protected void btnStopThread1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if (_objThread1 != null)
{
_objThread1.Abort();
_objThread1.Join();
}
}
//****************************************
}
public class clsThread1
{
public event EventHandler UpdateThread1Time;
public void StartProcess()
{
while (true)
{
UpdateThread1Time(this, EventArgs.Empty);
}
}
}