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.

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.

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

Investigators are today searching through charred remains of a plane that crashed and killed 90 people – mostly foreigners – on Thailand’s resort island of Phuket, while an airline official said wind shear may have doomed the flight.

The taxiways are cracked, the terminal has leaks and some airlines even wonder whether it is safe to fly into Thailand’s new international airport.