ANTI-GOVERNMENT protesters, who have brought Thailand to a standstill with their occupation of Bangkok's two main commercial airports, have consolidated their position at the terminals, while 300,000 travellers remained stranded in the city.
Thailand is without effective government and the airports are the main lifeline to the country's vital tourism industry.
Prime minister Somchai Wongsawat is holed up in Chiang Mai, its northern stronghold, unable to govern in any meaningful way, fearful the military may intervene at any moment. This feels like a country on the brink of civil war.
Anger is growing in Bangkok at the occupation of the international Suvarnabhumi airport and the mostly domestic Don Mueang domestic terminal.
The airports were stormed last week by the People's Alliance for Democracy, a loose alliance of royalists, rich businessmen and Bangkok's upper middle class, which is trying to put pressure on Mr Somchai to resign. They say he is a puppet of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr Thaksin is Mr Somchai's brother-in-law. He was deposed in a 2006 by a military coup and has fled the country to escape corruption charges.
"This country is on autopilot and we can't get out of here," said one angry Swiss banker, who arrived in Bangkok for a two-hour meeting a week ago and has been unable to leave since.
The spectre of civil war loomed ever larger after a grenade attack in the early hours of Sunday targeted anti-government protesters, injuring 54 people. Blasts hit the occupied prime minister's compound and a road near the occupied domestic airport. No one admitted responsibility, but the alliance places the blame squarely with the government.
Ten thousand pro-government activists converged on Bangkok to counter the anti-government protesters who have forced the prime minister to flee the capital.
The opposition protesters allowed 37 empty aircraft to leave Suvarnabhumi airport and moved their people who have occupied the prime minister's office in the government district of Bangkok, to back up those in the airports.
The focus now turns to a constitutional court decision today that may force a breakthrough in the crisis but may also prompt further chaos. The court is due to rule on whether three parties in the governing coalition, including Mr Somchai's People's Power Party, committed electoral fraud.
If found guilty, the parties would be dissolved immediately and executive members, including Mr Somchai, could be barred from politics for five years.
Thursday sees a key speech by the country's popular king, who celebrates his birthday on Friday and whose interventions have defused some of Thailand's stormier political shenanigans in the past.
The People's Alliance for Democracy has rejected calls for fresh elections, saying it wants a new political system that will take into account populist measures to buy votes among Mr Thaksin's core electorate, the rural poor.
Rumours that the army may intervene continued to swirl in the capital as the horrific economic cost of the airport occupations became clear. Sources close to the military say this is unlikely as the army is unwilling to get involved if it might provoke civil war.
The occupation comes during the peak period for Thailand's crucial tourism industry and thousands have had to cancel their holidays. Hotel occupancies are dwindling, a painful reality in an economy so reliant on the one trillion baht (€220 billion) it earns from tourism every year.
The government is to set aside 400 million baht (€8.9 million) from its budget to pay for hotels and food for stranded tourists. Tourists will receive 2,000 baht (€44) a day for food and lodging.
About 40,000 travellers have left Thailand since the closure of the nation's two main airports on November 25th. People are being flown out of the U-Tapao military airfield east of Bangkok, although there were 3km traffic tailbacks to get on to flights. The aged facility is overrun with tourists and other visitors keen to get home.
"U-Tapao is very crowded now," tourism minister Weerasak Kohsurat told the TNN news channel. "We will divert some flights to two airports in Nakhon Ratchasima province. Chiang Mai and Phuket will also help send stranded passengers out."
The government has said it could take weeks to get everyone home.
The party atmosphere continued among thousands in the airport yesterday, with families picnicking at the facility and keeping operations running smoothly during the protests. There is no evidence of looting or damage.
Officials said that getting the airport up and running again would take seven days because of security and technical system checks.