Bangkok – 15,000 Security Forces to be Deployed

Nearly 20,000 police and soldiers will be deployed in the Thai capital next week for the planned “shutdown” of Bangkok by demonstrators trying to overthrow the government, officials said on Wednesday. The protesters say they will occupy the capital from January 13 until they win their battle to topple the government. They plan to set up stages around the city, preventing officials from going to work and cutting off power and water to state buildings. Protesters plan to block the city’s key intersections for up to a month, and will gather outside the homes of key govt figures. Bangkok city authorities have instructed 146 schools to close on Monday because of the shutdown. Officials say the government is ready to declare a state of emergency if needed to deal with any unrest, following several outbreaks of street violence in which eight people, including a policeman, have been killed and hundreds wounded. Twenty foreign embassies on Silom, Sathorn and Wireless roads could be affected by the demonstrations. Transport Ministry advises commuters travelling into Bangkok on Monday, January 13, to allow several hours for travelling to their destination, as anti-government demonstrations are expected to create a gridlock on Bangkok’s roads and highways. The tourism sector in Bangkok is setting up Tourist Friends Centers in key locations across the city on high alert ahead of the possible shutdown. 150 volunteers will be put in charge, while taxi boats that have the capacity to carry 200-300 passengers, as well as buses and vans, will provide services in case of urgency. Pro-govt UDD Red Shirt activists planning to hold rallies at various locations in the country this weekend in a prelude to their stand against the anti-govt protesters’ planned Bangkok shutdown on January 13th. Travelers should use extreme caution and plan for disruptions. Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Hong Kong Airlines have reduced the number of flights to Bangkok from the middle of this month to avoid political conflict.