Thai PM unable to quell growing crisis

More protesters bused in
The protesters accuse Somchai of being a puppet of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the alliance's original target. Thaksin, who is Somchai's brother-in-law, was deposed in a 2006 military coup and fled the country to escape trial on corruption charges.

Alliance supporters are largely middle-class citizens who say Thailand's electoral system is susceptible to vote-buying and argue that the rural majority — the Thaksin camp's political base — is not sophisticated enough to cast ballots responsibly.

The alliance wants to discard direct elections of lawmakers in favor of appointing most legislators, a stand that has fostered resentment among rural voters and triggered violence between the two camps.

On Sunday, the alliance bused in more protesters to reinforce its siege of the Suvarnabhumi international airport and the domestic Don Muang airport. The reinforcements came from the prime minister's office compound, which the alliance occupied Aug. 26.

Economy takes a hit
Protest leader Chamlong Srimuang said the activists were sent because it was becoming unsafe to have such large numbers at the prime minister's compound, which has frequently come under grenade attacks by unidentified assailants. An attack Sunday wounded 49 people.

Rungroj / EPA A stranded tourist sits outside the Spanish Embassy in Bangkok on Monday, waiting for a bus to take him to an airport outside the capital.

"We are not abandoning the site. We will end the siege at all sites at the same time," said Suriyasai Katasila, an alliance spokesman.

Thailand's economy has suffered from the unrest.

Fitch Ratings on Monday forecast that the economy will grow 0.9 percent in 2009, which would be its slowest rate since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.

"It is a concern that, in the absence of effective and credible political leadership, economic policy could be either neglected or ineffective at a time when policy stimulus is likely required," said Vincent Ho, an associate director at Fitch.

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