Bangkok on the brink as shutdown looms
The security situation in Bangkok continues to deteriorate as opponents of caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra threaten to bring the Thai capital to its knees.
The PM has asked the military to help police enforce law and order if protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban carries out his threat to “shut down” Bangkok.
Until now, the police have adopted a passive role in face of increasingly volatile demonstrations.
The anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee has vowed to lay siege to Bangkok from January 13 and maintain blockades of key roads and buildings until the general election is held on February 2.
PDRC supporters may also gather outside the homes of key government figures, essentially keeping them captive in order to limit their activities, Suthep said.
The full impact on Thailand’s tourism industry won’t be known for months although industry figures expect a decline of at least 10% in international arrival numbers and tourism earnings over the first quarter 2014.
Ian Jarrett
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