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[Konglishman]

BANGKOK, Thailand � At least 51 anti-government protesters were wounded in several explosions early Sunday, raising fears of widening confrontations in a standoff that has strangled Thailand's economy and shut down its airports.

The first blast went off inside Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's office compound, which protesters seized in August and have held ever since. At least 49 people were hurt, including nine who were hospitalized, said Surachet Sathitniramai at the Narenthorn Medical Center. He said four were in serious condition.

Suriyasai Katasiya, a spokesman for the protest group, said a grenade landed on the roof of a tent under which protesters were resting. It rolled down and fell to the ground before exploding, he said.

The demonstrators, who call themselves the People's Alliance for Democracy, accuse the government of being a puppet of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a 2006 military coup and fled overseas to escape corruption charges.

The protesters overran Bangkok's international Suvarnabhumi airport Tuesday night as part of their campaign to force Somchai from office. They seized the Don Muang airport a day later, severing the capital from all commercial air traffic and virtually paralyzing the government.

The demonstrators say they will not leave until Somchai resigns, and have refused to enter any negotiations.

The closure of the airports has taken a heavy toll on Thailand's economy and reputation. According to Thai media reports, some 100,000 tourists are stranded, and schedules of airlines around the world have been disrupted.

Twenty-minutes after the compound attack, two more blasts rocked an anti-government television station but there were no injuries, Suriyasai said.

In another pre-dawn strike, an explosive device detonated on the road near the main entrance to Don Muang. Surachet and an Associated Press television cameraman said two people were wounded.

Police were unable to verify the accounts.

The protest group has been attacked several times by small bombs and grenades, including a blast earlier this month that killed one person and wounded 29.

Deputy Prime Minister Olarn Chaipravat, who oversees economic affairs, said the number of foreign tourist arrivals next year was expected to fall by half to about 6 million, resulting in 1 million job losses in the crucial tourism industry.

The Federation of Thai Industries has estimated the takeover of the airports is costing the country $57 million to $85 million a day.

"The situation has gone from bad to worse, signaling that it (the government) is incompetent at ensuring peace and order," the Thai Chamber of Commerce said in a statement Saturday.

About 400 protesters, traveling in a convoy of cars from the occupied international airport, attacked a police checkpoint staffed by more than 100 officers Saturday. The perimeter, which was put in place earlier in the day, had raised expectations authorities were preparing for a raid to end the four-day-old siege.

But instead, the dramatic four-minute assault effectively broke the cordon around the airport.

The protesters, carrying metal rods and some guns, smashed windshields and threw what appeared to be firecrackers at the police. Video footage of the attack appeared to show a protester firing a handgun toward a police van filled with officers.

Police Col. Wuttipong Petchkumnerd said there were no injuries on either side.

"We left the area immediately because we did not want any confrontation," he told The Associated Press.

"The police are constantly provoked, which is why only senior policemen are armed. We do not want to use violence," he said. He said four police trucks were damaged.

So far security forces have only issued a warning to the protesters to leave. It was not clear if the assault will result in a changed strategy.

Earlier Saturday, police spokesman Maj. Gen. Amnuay Nimmano said the protesters would be told to leave the airports. If they did not, a deadline will be issued with another warning, "the last one before we take action," he said.

___

Associated Press Writer Chris Blake contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081130/ap_on_bi_ge/as_thailand_political_unrest



This is getting worse and worse. If this keeps up for much longer, I am going to have to look into getting my flight changed to Chiang Mai or somewhere in Malaysia.

[Tobias]

[Xuanzang]

Just end it before New Year (Korean or Western) and I`ll be happy.

[Seoul'n'Corea]

[Konglishman]

BANGKOK, Thailand � Airlines were flying dozens of empty planes out of Bangkok's international airport Monday as authorities struggled to clear it of protesters to reopen international links and move 100,000 travelers stranded by the crisis, the airport said.

Some 30 planes had been flown out starting Sunday and an additional 50 were to be moved later Monday, some of them to protest-free airports elsewhere in Thailand so that stranded travelers can fly out of the country, said Sereerat Prasutanont, director of the Airports Authority of Thailand.

Thailand's political crisis escalated Sunday when thousands of pro-government activists converged on Bangkok to counter rival protesters who seized the city's two airports last week and have forced the prime minister to run the country from outside the capital.

Explosions Sunday targeting the anti-government protesters injured at least 51 people, officials said, with blasts hitting the prime minister's compound in Bangkok where the protesters have camped out since August and a road near the occupied domestic airport.

Neither the army nor Thailand's revered king have stepped in to resolve the crisis � or offered the firm backing that Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat needs to resolve the leadership vacuum.

The problem runs deeper than the airport closures. Political violence has added to the sense of drift bordering on anarchy that pervades the country's administration.

No one claimed responsibility for Sunday's blasts, but Suriyasai Katasila, a spokesman for the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy, blamed the government.

The alliance says it will not give up until Somchai resigns, accusing him of being a puppet of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the alliance's original target. Thaksin, who is Somchai's brother-in-law, was deposed in a 2006 military coup and has fled the country to escape corruption charges.

Alliance protesters swarmed the international Suvarnabumi airport late last Tuesday, shutting down operations and stranding scores of planes. Local newspapers said alliance protesters allowed the airliners to leave the airport starting Sunday, but that the departing planes nevertheless dimmed their lights to avoid being noticed by potentially violent protesters.

Some countries were evacuating their nationals by land. The Australian embassy was helping stranded tourists in Bangkok travel by bus to the southern resort island of Phuket, where air traffic has not been disrupted, for onward travel to Australia.

On Sunday, thousands of government supporters wearing red shirts, headbands and bandanas joined a rally against the protest alliance. Some danced and clapped to music blaring from loudspeakers. They have adopted red to distinguish themselves from their yellow-garbed rivals.

"This is a movement against anarchical force and the people behind it," government spokesman Nattawut Sai-Kua told The Associated Press. "They want anarchy so that the army is forced to intervene and stage a coup."

But the army, which overthrew Thaksin among other previous coups, says it has no plans to oust Somchai. Still, the military has failed to back up Somchai's efforts to restore order.

Also staying out of the crisis has been revered 80-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who as a constitutional monarch plays no open role in politics but who has healed social fractures in the past.

"No one else can fix this. The country is so divided. The only uniting figure we have is the king. If he tells both sides to step back, they will," said 36-year-old coffee shop owner Natta Siritanond.

Nattawut, the government spokesman, denied rumors that Somchai had left the country, saying he was operating out of the northern city of Chiang Mai and traveling to Nakhon Phanom province, a northeastern province 600 kilometers (370 miles) from Bangkok.

The Federation of Thai Industries has estimated the airports takeover is costing the country $57 million to $85 million a day. Some of its members have suggested withholding taxes in protest.

Somchai declared a state of emergency, but security forces have so far failed to move on the protesters.

The supporters of the alliance are largely middle-class citizens who say Thailand's electoral system is susceptible to vote-buying and argue that the rural majority � the Thaksin camp's political base � is not sophisticated enough to cast ballots responsibly.

They have proposed discarding the one-man, one-vote system in favor of appointing most legislators, fostering resentment among rural voters.

The divisions have slipped into deadly violence. So far, six people have been killed in bomb attacks, clashes with police and street battles between government opponents and supporters.

___

Associated Press reporters Vijay Joshi and Michael Casey contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081201/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_political_unrest#full



At least, the international airport is starting to get cleared out. However, this political crisis is far from over. Hopefully, the king will step in and tell everyone to calm down.

[laconic2]

[Tobias]

BOO! Scared the shit right out of you.

Can't remember the last time I heard about a tourist getting attacked in Thailand. I imagine it has happened, but it's probably been a while. I remember a lady was murdered in Phuket by a native. Does this mean I'll avoid the place? See you in Bangkok. I'll be the guy wearing the yellow shirt standing around waiting impatiently for somebody to attack him.

Damit, somebody take a club to my noggin!

[Illysook]

The travel agent says to wait another week to see how things shake out, and it's also true that no one is looking to harm tourists, so I think that my plans for Christmas vacation are still on. A lot can happen in three weeks.

[itaewonguy]

I heard from a friend in thailand that protestors have actually fully taken over the airport and have looted all the duty free shops, ate all the food in the restuarants, and are even in the control towers! totally inside everything and everywhere..
so if this is true..

IT WILL TAKE another week for personal to get back inside and check all systems, restock the shops, clean up the damage and make sure everything is 100% good to go...
if protestors have damaged computers or anything could take more time to get everything working again...

are tourists still in the airport?? why dont they let them leave?

[Konglishman]

BANGKOK, Thailand � Thailand's Constitutional Court has dissolved the three biggest parties in the ruling coalition and banned the prime minister along with top party executives from politics for five years.

The ruling sinks Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's coalition government, made up of six parties. It also raises hopes that thousands of protesters seeking the government's ouster will end their siege of the country's two main airports.

The court ruled Tuesday that Somchai's People's Power Party, the Machima Thipatai party and the Chart Thai party were guilty of electoral fraud. Somchai and other party executive members were found guilty and banned from politics for five years.

Court President Chat Chalavorn says the ruling will "set a political standard."

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) � Thailand's Constitutional Court has dissolved two main parties in the ruling coalition and banned the prime minister along with top party executives from politics for five years.

The ruling sinks Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's government, which has faced strident protests for months seeking its ouster.

The court ruled that Somchai's People's Power Party and the Machima Thipatai party were guilty of electoral fraud. Somchai and dozens of party executive members also were found guilty and banned from politics for five years.

Tuesday's ruling raises hopes that thousands of anti-government protesters will end their siege of the country's two main airports.

Court President Chat Chalavorn says the ruling will "set a political standard."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081202/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_political_unrest#full



At least, now, we can be relatively confident that the airport will actually begin to get cleared out. However, I doubt that this political crisis is close to being over. This court decision is actually going against the majority will of Thailand.

[Xuanzang]

PAD get out now and let me enjoy my upcoming holidays.

[bangbayed]

Looks like the court just ruled in PAD's favor. Hopefully this will clear them out of the airport.

[sojourner1]

Yes, it looks like this thing is resolved and there will be no coup this time around. Looks like they should announce on Wednesday that the PAD are going to leave and go back to their normal every day lives.

It's reasonable to say that you will still be able to go there within 3 weeks and if you haven't bought a ticket yet, you might get a super duper bargain since this destination is in super low demand right now.

[rokgryphon]

BKK will reopen for full service on Dec. 15 at 6 pm it has already started accepting cargo flights and they have also started departing. Good news for tourists, not so sure that the whole deal of dissolving those political parties is good for the Thai people and their democracy though. Especially those outside of Bangkok living in the countryside.

[mediano tzu]