THAILAND'S PRIME minister refused to step down yesterday after the country's army chief called for new elections, and anti-government protesters continued to lay siege to Bangkok airport, leaving thousands of tourists stranded.
Gen Anupong Paochinda, the influential army chief, urged Somchai Wongsawat to resign and call snap elections to resolve the deadlock, but in a nationally televised address the prime minister said he would continue to work for the "good of the country".
The snub to the army chief heightened fears of an imminent coup as the anti-government demonstrators, whose invasion of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport provoked the chaos, continued the occupation that halted flights and left thousands of tourists stranded.
Last night most of the 3,000 stranded were taken by coach to hotels after spending up 20 hours caught in the mayhem.
The protesters, who are well organised and funded, gave the tourists food and drink. Leaflets in English explained their campaign and apologised for the inconvenience. But many tourists were angry and some feared a confrontation, particularly after riot police arrived outside the terminal building at about 5am.
"People have told us to be careful, that it could be dangerous," said Patricia Peel (56), from Britain. "But this is absolutely disgusting. I've spoken to many, many English people who said they'd never, ever come to Thailand again."
For most, though, the focus of their outrage was the airlines' inability to tell them what was happening, leaving them fearful of going to a hotel in case they missed their flights.
"We came here at 5am," said Jason Melbourne (40), also from the UK. "But Qatar Airways have told us nothing. I'd happily go and spend a couple of days in Bangkok, but we don't know what to do." The airport is a regional hub that handles 700 flights a day. It is vital to Thailand's tourist sector, which generates £10 billion a year - 6 per cent of the economy.
Gen Anupong, who has repeatedly shunned calls for an army takeover to restore order, appeared to be trying to find a solution to the crisis by calling a meeting of military chiefs, academics and senior officials.
He called on the demonstrators from the People's Alliance for Democracy (Pad) to leave the airport. He suggested that the government, which was elected less than a year ago, should dissolve parliament and seek a new mandate in a fresh poll, which the ruling People Power party would almost certainly win. The general also proposed an interim appointed administration before the elections, raising fears among the government and its supporters that the powerful royalist-military elite would use the opportunity to tinker with the constitution to keep them out in a "covert coup".
"There's no doubt this suggestion was not a very veiled threat by the army," said Chris Baker, a historian and political analyst. "They're saying to the prime minister, if you don't go, there's the threat of a coup. I think it might happen." Within hours Somchai, who was forced to land at the northern city of Chiang Mai on returning from a summit in Peru, rebuffed the overture. He said the coalition had a mandate to govern.
"My position is not important, but democratic values are," he said. "I reassure the people that this government, which is legitimate and came from elections, will keep functioning to the end. These protesters . . . have destroyed democracy with mob rule."
Even before Mr Somchai, the brother-in-law of the deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, had spoken, the Pad leadership had dismissed demands that its supporters leave the airport peacefully.
"We sympathise with the passengers, but this is a necessary move to save the nation," the Pad leader Sondhi Limthongkul told supporters at the airport. "If he doesn't resign, I will not leave." The stalemate between the opposing factions, with the army caught in the middle, threatened to spiral into violence across the country as government supporters shot dead a rival in Chiang Mai.