BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Thailand's leader attended a Buddhist ritual Monday, seemingly indifferent to a deepening political crisis that has paralyzed his government, shut down two main airports and stranded 300,000 foreigners in the country.
The crisis is draining millions of dollars from the country's economy even as Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat appears powerless to remove radical anti-government protesters who have occupied the airports for the past week. He has refused to send in police to evict them for fear of bloodshed, instead making weak pleas for the protesters to go home.
The protesters have vowed to stay until Somchai steps down but he has refused.
Late Monday, an explosive device burst among protesters camped outside the domestic airport. An official at Mongkut Wattana hospital said 13 people were injured, including three seriously who received shrapnel wounds. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she is not authorized to speak to the press.
It was the third such attack in two days by unidentified assailants targeting the protesters. So far, six people have been killed and scores injured in bomb attacks, clashes with police and street battles between government opponents and supporters.
Still, neither the army, a key player in Thai politics, nor the king has offered Somchai the firm backing he needs to resolve the crisis.
With no end to the deadlock in sight, many Thais hoped a court ruling could resolve the crisis.
A Constitutional Court is set to decide whether Somchai and others in his party committed electoral fraud — a move that would see him banned from politics and his party dissolved.
Even if that scenario comes to pass and the protesters disperse, it is expected to take at least another week before the airports become operational again.
The airport closure has severed all commercial flights in and out of the capital, forcing thousands to cancel their vacations during peak tourist season, and halted vital postal air services, preventing the arrival of everything from specialized medicines to raw fish for Bangkok's Japanese restaurants.
Somchai has been working out of Chiang Mai since Wednesday, saying he wants to avoid a confrontation with the People's Alliance for Democracy, the group that has been campaigning since May to topple his government.
On Monday, Somchai went to a Buddhist temple in the northern city and prayed with dozens of monks for the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the country's revered constitutional monarch who celebrates his 81st birthday on Friday. He also attended a royal flower exhibition.
Asked about the crisis, he told reporters: "The authorities are working in line with due process, but we have to depend on police, soldiers and civil servants." He refused to elaborate.
The protesters accuse Somchai 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 supporters 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 direct elections of lawmakers in favor of appointing most legislators, fostering resentment among rural voters.
On Monday, the alliance bused in more protesters to reinforce its siege of the Suvarnabhumi international airport and the domestic Don Muang airport. The reinforcements came from the prime minister's office compound, which the alliance had occupied since Aug. 26.
Protest leader Chamlong Srimuang said they were moving out because it was becoming unsafe to stay in the compound, which has frequently come under grenade attacks by unidentified assailants. The latest occurred on Sunday and wounded 49 people.
"We are not abandoning the site. We will end the siege at all sites at the same time," said Suriyasai Katasila, an alliance spokesman.
On Tuesday, a Constitutional Court will hear closing arguments in the electoral fraud case against Somchai's People's Power Party and two other parties in the governing coalition. A ruling could come as early as sometime this week.
If found guilty, the parties would be dissolved and Somchai and 23 other lawmakers could be barred from politics for five years. Somchai's removal from office would bring down his government, but other members of his dissolved party would be free to join other parties and form a new government.
"The protesters will achieve (their) objective if the court dissolves the ruling parties and the government falls," said Chamlong.
However, a ruling against Somchai is also likely to intensify divisions in the country. Somchai's supporters are already expressing their displeasure at the possibility of a guilty verdict.
It would be a "coup in disguise," said Veera Musikapong, a pro-government leader.
"This is a coordinated effort to overthrow the government. It looks like justice is being done but it's nothing more than a hidden coup," he said.
Meanwhile, Thailand's economy has suffered immensely.
Fitch Ratings on Monday forecast that the economy will grow by 0.9 percent in 2009, which would be its slowest rate since the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis.
"It is a concern that, in the absence of effective and credible political leadership, economic policy could be either neglected or ineffective at a time when policy stimulus is likely required," said Vincent Ho, an associate director at Fitch.
Kongrit Hiranyakit, head of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said over 300,000 travelers were stranded in Thailand, with 35,000 to 45,000 being added each day the airports remained closed. Thousands of others trying to enter Thailand from around the world are also stuck.
Stranded travelers are driving hundreds of kilometers (miles) to other airports such as Chiang Mai and Phuket in the south to leave the country.
Associated Press reporters Ambika Ahuja, Jocelyn Gecker and Mick Elmore contributed to this report.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP ) — Thailand's leader attended a Buddhist ritual Monday, seemingly indifferent to a deepening political crisis that has paralyzed his government, shut down two main airports and stranded 300,000 foreigners in the country.
The crisis is draining millions of dollars from the country's economy even as Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat appears powerless to remove radical anti-government protesters who have occupied the airports for the past week. He has refused to send in police to evict them for fear of bloodshed, instead making weak pleas for the protesters to go home.
The protesters have vowed to stay until Somchai steps down but he has refused.
Neither the army, a key player in Thai politics, nor the king has offered Somchai the firm backing he needs to resolve the crisis.
With no end to the deadlock in sight, many Thais hoped a court ruling could resolve the crisis.
A Constitutional Court is set to decide whether Somchai and others in his party committed electoral fraud — a move that would see him banned from politics and his party dissolved.
Even if that scenario comes to pass and the protesters disperse, it is expected to take at least another week before the airports become operational again.
The airport closure has severed all commercial flights in and out of the capital, forcing thousands to cancel their vacations during peak tourist season, and halted vital postal air services, preventing the arrival of everything from specialized medicines to raw fish for Bangkok's Japanese restaurants.
Somchai has been working out of Chiang Mai since Wednesday, saying he wants to avoid a confrontation with the People's Alliance for Democracy, the group that has been campaigning since May to topple his government.
On Monday, Somchai went to a Buddhist temple in the northern city and prayed with dozens of monks for the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the country's revered constitutional monarch who celebrates his 81st birthday on Friday. He also attended a royal flower exhibition.
Asked about the crisis, he told reporters: "The authorities are working in line with due process, but we have to depend on police, soldiers and civil servants." He refused to elaborate.
The protesters accuse Somchai 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 supporters 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 direct elections of lawmakers 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.
On Sunday, the alliance bused in more protesters to reinforce its siege of the Suvarnabhumi international airport and the domestic Don Muang airport. The reinforcements came from the prime minister's office compound, which the alliance had occupied since Aug. 26.
Protest leader Chamlong Srimuang said they were moving out because it was becoming unsafe to stay in the compound, which has frequently come under grenade attacks by unidentified assailants. The latest occurred on Sunday and wounded 49 people.
"We are not abandoning the site. We will end the siege at all sites at the same time," said Suriyasai Katasila, an alliance spokesman.
On Tuesday, a Constitutional Court will hear closing arguments in the electoral fraud case against Somchai's People's Power Party and two other parties in the governing coalition. A ruling could come as early as sometime this week.
If found guilty, the parties would be dissolved and Somchai and 23 other lawmakers could be barred from politics for five years. Somchai's removal from office would bring down his government, but other members of his dissolved party would be free to join other parties and form a new government.
"The protesters will achieve (their) objective if the court dissolves the ruling parties and the government falls," said Chamlong.
However, a ruling against Somchai is also likely to intensify divisions in the country. Somchai's supporters are already expressing their displeasure at the possibility of a guilty verdict.
It would be a "coup in disguise," said Veera Musikapong, a pro-government leader.
"This is a coordinated effort to overthrow the government. It looks like justice is being done but it's nothing more than a hidden coup," he said.
Meanwhile, Thailand's economy has suffered immensely.
Fitch Ratings on Monday forecast that the economy will grow by 0.9 percent in 2009, which would be its slowest rate since the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis.
"It is a concern that, in the absence of effective and credible political leadership, economic policy could be either neglected or ineffective at a time when policy stimulus is likely required," said Vincent Ho, an associate director at Fitch.
Kongrit Hiranyakit, head of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said over 300,000 travelers were stranded in Thailand, with 35,000 to 45,000 being added each day the airports remained closed. Thousands of others trying to enter Thailand from around the world are also stuck.
Stranded travelers are driving hundreds of kilometers (miles) to other airports such as Chiang Mai and Phuket in the south to leave the country.
Associated Press reporters Ambika Ahuja, Jocelyn Gecker and Mick Elmore contributed to this report. |