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.

More than 300,000 travellers were today stranded in Thailand, trapped in the siege of Bangkok’s two airports by anti-government demonstrators.

ATTACKERS set off explosions at anti-government protest sites yesterday, wounding 51 people and raising fears of widening confrontations in Thailand’s worst political crisis that has strangled its economy and shut down its main airports.

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.

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.

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

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.

The Philippines will not grant political asylum to former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra after his British visa was revoked, preventing him from returning to London where he has been living in exile, an official said today.

A crowd of angry protesters has thrown shoes and plastic bottles at Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat’s entourage after cornering him in an underground parking lot.

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

Cambodia’s prime minister issued an ultimatum to Thailand to withdraw troops from a disputed border area today or face a “life-and-death battle zone”.

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 Election Commission will open an investigation into whether new Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat should resign for violating the constitution.

A brother-in-law of deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra was elected the new prime minister of Thailand in a parliamentary vote today.

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.

Thailand’s ruling party has endorsed the brother-in-law of deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra as its nominee to become the next prime minister.

THAILAND’S acting prime minister has lifted a state of emergency in Bangkok, urging all sides in a political standoff to find a peaceful compromise and restore the country’s image as “The Land of Smiles”.

Search dogs led rescuers to three bodies buried under mud and two people who had passed out on a hill, starving, days after torrential rains triggered flash floods in northern Thailand, officials said today.

A Thai policeman was sentenced to life in prison today for killing a young British couple last year following an argument at a restaurant in Kanchanaburi - the resort town made famous by the bridge over the River Kwai.

Two eyewitnesses testified today against a Thai policeman accused of gunning down two young British tourists, and a prosecution lawyer called it a breakthrough in the case.

The grieving father of a British tourist gunned down in Thailand looked for remorse in the accused killer’s eyes today and said: “I saw none. I saw the cold heart of an executioner.”

A Thai court has released on bail a policeman accused of gunning down a young British couple two months ago, sparking fears that he might try to intimidate witnesses, a prosecuting lawyer said today.

Thailand’s international image is suffering over its inability to capture a policeman suspected of murdering two British tourists last month, a senior tourism official said today

A British woman killed in Thailand was mown down by a car and dragged for 20 yards after trying to stop a gunman – believed to be a policeman – who shot her boyfriend dead, it was revealed today.