Thai Police Warns Anti-Government Protestors To Leave Airports Amid Rising Tension

November 29, 2008 10:04 a.m. EST

Bangkok, Thailand (AHN) - Thai police have warned thousands of anti-government protestors on Saturday to leave Bangkok's two major airports, otherwise the security forces will have to use force to disperse them.

The security forces have constructed a huge cordon around the demonstrators occupying airport Saturday, but the marchers have defied police calls to empty the premises.

The local reports suggest that that there is a possibility of massive clash between the two sides as the stanoff, which has disrupted the country's economy, is growing increasingly tense.

The five-day siege has left thousands of people stranded from leaving the country to different parts of the world and it is costing the country's tourism industry millions of dollars per day.

The Thai News Agency estimates that every day the shutdown is costing airport authorities as much as 50 million baht ($1.4 million) in income with almost 60,000 tourists arriving on daily basis.

According to the Thai Tourism Services Association, the violence and protests in the country led to the drop in foreign tourists by more than 70 percent. While, more than 40 percent of the hotels remained vacant through last month, according to the Thai Hotels Association.

Tourism industry is an important source of sector for Thailand's economy, which have already suffered from the global slowdown, accounting for 6 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Thailand's prime minister has already rebuked over the possibility of him stepping down from the post amid rising pressure from thousands of anti-government protestors.

The demonstrations are led by the opposition People's Alliance for Democracy, or PAD, an activist group that successfully overthrew former Prime Minister Shinawatra in 2006.

Unexpectedly, members of the PAD tookover the Suvarnabhumi airport, located on Bangkok's outskirts, on Tuesday night, and the Don Muang domestic airport in the city on Wednesday.

The protesters have consistently pledged not to leave grounds until the government that was elected last December resigns. The authorities have failed to settle negotiations with the PAD members.

Opposition activists have accused the prime minister of changing certain legislations in the constitution to protect his predecessor, Thaksin Shinawatra.

In September, Thailand's Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat had imposed emergency to end a violent political crisis in the capital city of the country as thousands of anti-government protestors clashed with security forces.

But the demonstrations continued. Thousands of protestors have been demonstrating holding sometimes-violent demonstrations over the past few months.