3K Stranded in Bangkok as PM Refuses to Step Down

'Red commander' shooting boosts violence

(NEWSER) - A leader of the Thai anti-government Red Shirts who was shot in the head by a sniper last week in the middle of a media interview has died. Tensions in Bangkok escalated after Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdipol, known as Seh Daeng (Red Commander), was shot last week while talking to a New York Times reporter. More»

Protests spread from Bangkok to provinces

(NEWSER) - The unrest in Thailand is rapidly spreading from Bangkok to the provinces, raising fears that widespread civil conflict looms. Supporters of anti-government Red Shirt protesters have been blocking roads around the country to prevent reinforcements of police and soldiers reaching the capital, the BBC reports. Protesters in Bangkok caused chaos in rush hour this morning by overrunning a train station. More»

(NEWSER) - Anti-government protesters ignored Thailand’s state of emergency by the thousands today while former PM Thaksin Shinawatra called on them “to come out in revolution,” the New York Times reports. In defiance of a ban on gatherings of more than five people in Bangkok, demonstrators rallied outside the current prime minister’s home, attacked his car, and erected barricades in case of military intervention. More»

Gov't bans gatherings of more than 5 in capital

(AP) - Thailand's embattled government, humiliated by demonstrators who shut down a 16-nation Asian summit, declared a state of emergency in the capital today and ordered armored vehicles into the streets to stem a tide of protest across the country. Bands of anti-government protesters roamed Bangkok as the decree was announced. They smashed a car, commandeered public buses, and beat up motorists who hurled insults at them. More»

(AP) - Thailand's prime minister unveiled his new cabinet today, including a supporter of last month's airport blockade in a lineup that cast doubt on the government's ability to unite the divided nation, the AP reports. The announcement came after King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the country's revered monarch, endorsed Abhisit Vejjajiva, whom lawmakers voted in as prime minister on Dec. 15. The cabinet will be sworn in Monday. More»