THAILAND'S WORST political crisis in decades threatened to escalate into a wider conflict yesterday after a grenade attack wounded dozens of protesters seeking to overthrow the government, while supporters of prime minister Somchai Wongsawat took to the streets for the first time since the crisis began.
The atmosphere in the Thai capital was tense as protesters maintained their hold on Suvarnabhumi International Airport and the mostly domestic airport Don Muang, leaving thousands of visitors, including Irish tourists, stranded.
Anti-government demonstrators want Mr Somchai's government to step down, accusing it of being corrupt and hostile to the southeast Asian country's beloved monarchy.
About 100,000 passengers were stranded in Bangkok and many countries were putting on flights from the U-Tapao naval base, 140 kilometres southeast of Bangkok, to bring their nationals home, but the facility has been overwhelmed with those trying to get out.
"It's the frustration of not knowing when the airport will open and when we'll get out again," said Gavin Higgins, a Belfast insurance broker due to fly home last week.
"This will absolutely have an impact on tourism here, I'm due to come here with the family in January on holiday and if there isn't a marked improvement I'll have to reconsider. It's bad for Thailand's image," said Mr Higgins.
Police were negotiating with the protesters to end the blockade, which is hurting the country's economy, so dependent on tourism, at a time when Thailand is grappling with the effects of the global economic slowdown. The Federation of Thai Industries estimates the airport blockade is costing the country nearly €70 million a day and could end up costing one million tourism-related jobs.
The police say they will not use force to remove the protesters, who include families with children as well as balaclava-wearing young men.
Thailand is used to dealing with a significant degree of instability, but watching events at political rallies held by both sides gives a sense of a country unravelling into something far worse.
The elected government is holed up in its northern stronghold of Chiang Mai, while the airports and key government offices in Bangkok are held by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a grouping of royalists, businessmen and Bangkok's middle class.
The alliance says it will not give up until Mr Somchai resigns, accusing him of being a puppet of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the alliance's original target. Mr Thaksin, who is Mr Somchai's brother-in-law, was deposed in a 2006 military coup and has fled the country to escape corruption charges. Even though the government is democratically elected, the protesters say the government is using corrupt means to maintain its grip on power.
The army has called for snap elections and rumours of a possible coup continue to circulate, while the government has denied speculation that Mr Somchai had left the country. But he does appear at a loss over how to end the crisis.
Saturday's late-night attack on protesters occupying a government compound injured 54 people, three of them seriously.
There were two more blasts soon afterwards at an anti-government television station. The attacks are believed to be in retaliation for the airport occupation.
Tonkla Maksook, a nurse from Chiang Mai, one of thousands occupying the prime minister's office in the capital, was woken by the explosion.
"I heard the bomb during the night, I was 100 metres away. God knows what will happen. It's sad," said Ms Maksook. Many of the wounded were treated initially in a temporary hospital in the grounds of the prime minister's office. The occupied office is like a small city, with shops selling mementoes, foot massage stalls and kitchens.
Dr Visanu Supproong believed the grenade came from a grenade launcher, and the injuries he treated included shrapnel wounds.
"The kind of man who has an M-79 grenade launcher must be from the government side, only the military can do that, he has to be well trained to do it," said Dr Supprong.
The hole made by the explosive was visible in the tarpaulin covering the meeting area, and was metres away from a hole made by a previous grenade attack.
"The man who has the power must step down. Powerful men must stop him according to the constitution. We're being attacked and the police do nothing," he said.
Leaders made speeches as pop music played in the occupied zone, and a party atmosphere underlined the demonstrators' defiance.
Narongvet Boonkre, a shop-owner, said the broad support for the king was the key to resolving the problem. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has repeatedly brought calm in times of turbulence during his 62-year reign, will give his annual birthday-eve speech on December 4th.
"We are hoping for a new politics, not using money to buy power. Every person loves the king. They don't want people to destroy the king. The current government is almost like a dictatorship. The king is like a father.
"We respect the king in our blood," said Mr Boonkre.
Across town, tens of thousands of the government's own supporters attended a rally, wearing red shirts and headbands. On the surface, the scene was similar - the pro-government lobby uses clapping heart toys instead of the clapping-hand toys of the opposition, and wear red rather than yellow shirts. But this is a much poorer crowd, made up of taxi drivers, labourers and people from the countryside. In contrast to the "yellow" protests, few on the "red" side speak English and the movement seems less well-equipped.
"I support Thaksin. I'm from Bangkok," said an old soldier who gave his name as Farinya and warned of violence escalating.
"Our leader is a good egg. Maybe there is danger tonight. My friends in the army say there will be," he said. Some are hoping that a ruling by the Thai constitutional court early this week could ease tensions. The judiciary is expected to rule on whether three parties in the governing coalition committed electoral fraud.