Thai protests expected to escalate over weekend

POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY is fast becoming the norm in Thailand, where thousands of Irish go on holiday each year.

In the latest bout of anger, tens of thousands of supporters of exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra donned their trademark red shirts to try and force a new election. In response, about 50,000 soldiers of the Thai army, which is traditionally loyal to the monarchy, were mobilised as several thousand supporters of Mr Thaksin began gathering at five key areas in Bangkok.

The possibility of hundreds of thousands of protesters again flooding the streets has rattled nerves in the city of 15 million people, and led to many businesses closing their doors.

Government warnings of potential sabotage, including arson and bombings, have led to armed guards being installed at banks and state buildings.

Meanwhile, thousands of buses, trucks and farm vehicles were expected to converge from neighbouring provinces for the latest demonstrations.

Witnesses in Bangkok said many shops and schools were staying closed, but most keyholders were insistent that life is as normal. “We’ve had so much of this,” one prominent Irish businessman in the country said. “In my view things will dissipate slowly now, since the [supreme] court decision .”

More activists plan to arrive over the weekend, with hundreds of thousands expected on Sunday – a scale almost unprecedented in recent years.