Thailand vowed its main airport will be open by the end of the week after thousands of sit-in protestors succeeded in forcing the country’s prime minister from office today.

THAILAND’S prime minister attended a Buddhist ritual yesterday, seemingly indifferent to a deepening political crisis that has paralysed his government, shut down two main airports and stranded 300,000 foreigners.

THE incoming captain of one of Ireland’s top golf clubs could be left bunkered by the airport crisis in Bangkok.

Government supporters from the Thai countryside converged on the capital today to counter rival protesters who seized control of Bangkok’s two airports and forced the prime minister to run the country from afar.

More than 450 Thai Muslims stranded at Bangkok’s besieged airport for four days have been bussed to a military base to board a plane for the hajj pilgrimage.

At least 51 anti-government protesters were wounded in several explosions, raising fears of widening confrontations in a stand-off that has strangled Thailand’s economy and shut down its airports.

Tensions in Thailand were mounting tonight as stranded holidaymakers were forced to wait it out in Bangkok.

Thailand’s government backed off today from its threat to forcibly remove protesters occupying Bangkok’s two airports, dashing hopes of quick resolution to a stand-off that has stranded thousands of travellers.

Protesters holding Bangkok’s airports were facing a crackdown tonight as the government warned it would use force to remove them.

Thai authorities shut down Bangkok’s second airport today after it was overrun by anti-government protesters, cutting off the capital from air traffic as the prime minister rejected their demands to resign.

THAI prime minister Somchai Wongsawat last night rejected his army chief’s call to quit in the face of anti- government protests that threaten to spiral out of control across the country.

Thailand’s prime minister refused to step down tonight despite protesters bringing the country’s biggest airport to a standstill and a call for new elections from the army’s head.

Protesters who brought Bangkok airport to a standstill stranding thousands of travellers refused a plea from the country’s army chief to halt their action today.

Tourists today spoke of “chaos and confusion” after they were caught in anti-government protests that have forced the closure of Bangkok airport.

Thailand’s main international airport cancelled all flights today as protesters thronged the complex in an effort to bring down the government.

Bangkok airport was brought to a standstill by anti-government protesters today.

THOUSANDS of anti-government protesters took to the streets of Thai capital Bangkok yesterday, forcing Parliament to shut down in what activists called their “final showdown” to oust an allegedly corrupt administration.

Thousands of anti-government protesters fanned out across Bangkok today, forcing Thailand’s Parliament to shut down and a group of riot police to retreat to their headquarters in what the activists called their final bid to oust a corrupt administration.

A grenade attack on anti-government protesters occupying the Thai prime minister’s office killed one person and wounded at least 23 early today.

Britain will be asked to extradite former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra after he was convicted of corruption charges today.

Thailand’s embattled prime minister has dismissed calls for his resignation, saying that stepping down would not resolve the country’s deepening political crisis.

A THAI court dropped charges of insurrection yesterday against the main leaders of a protest movement bidding to topple the government, two days after the worst street unrest in Bangkok for 16 years.

Anti-government protesters have vowed to avenge those killed and injured in clashes this week with the police.

Thailand suffered its worst political violence in more than 16 years as police battled protesters who besieged the Parliament in their struggle to change the country’s system of democracy.

Thai riot police today clashed with thousands of protesters who barricaded Parliament and vowed to block the government from leaving.

Police fired tear gas canisters today at several thousand demonstrators trying to bar politicians from Thailand’s Parliament, injuring scores of them and heating up a political crisis that has gripped the country for six weeks.

THAILAND’S ruling People Power Party (PPP) nominated a brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra as its pick for prime minister yesterday, antagonising protesters who accuse the government of being a puppet of the ousted leader.

SAMAK SUNDARAVEJ will not be a candidate when the Thai parliament votes next week for a new premier, an aide said yesterday, but street campaigners vowed to keep pressure on the government he led for seven months.

Thailand’s ousted leader Samak Sundaravej today accepted the endorsement of the country’s ruling party to return as prime minister.

Thailand’s army chief urged the caretaker government today to lift a state of emergency and backed a proposal to form a government of national unity that would include all the country’s parties.

Thailand’s prime minister was forced to resign today along with his Cabinet after the Constitutional Court ruled that he had broken a conflict-of-interest law by hosting TV cooking shows while in office.

Thai police today warned students to avoid street protests after a gunman shot and wounded two students demonstrating against the country’s prime minister, raising new fears of violence in the country’s tense political crisis.

Thailand’s prime minister refused again to give in to protesters determined to oust him, but offered an unconventional compromise – a referendum on his fate.

Thailand’s prime minister today refused to cede to protesters determined to oust him, but offered a referendum on his fate aimed at ending the political crisis that has raised fears of economic chaos.

Embattled prime minister Samak Sundaravej called the political crisis in Thailand a shameful embarrassment for the country today, but vowed not to resign or dissolve parliament, saying it was his job to protect democracy.

Thailand was plunged further into political crisis today when the Election Commission ruled that the governing People’s Power Party committed electoral fraud and should be dissolved.

THAILAND’S parliament has convened an emergency session at the request of the country’s prime minister, who acknowledged that his administration cannot control spiralling anti-government protests.

Thailand’s prime minister called an emergency session of parliament today after vowing not to resign as pressure mounted with anti-government protesters occupying his headquarters for a sixth day.

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej vowed today that he will not resign despite growing pressure for him to step down as anti-government protesters occupied his headquarters for a fifth day.

THAI police used tear gas to disperse a crowd of several thousand anti-government protesters who were besieging city police headquarters.

Anti-government protesters in Thailand have formed a human chain around their leaders, fearing they will be arrested for the takeover of the prime minister’s office compound.

Thousands of demonstrators occupying the Thai prime minister’s office compound beat back an effort by riot police to remove them today and vowed to stay until the government resigns.

THOUSANDS of Thai protesters stormed a state- run TV station and the seat of government yesterday, in what Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said was an effort to provoke another coup.

Around 2,000 protesters rallied outside Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, demanding that it revoke the diplomatic passport of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and extradite him from Britain.