A series of small bomb blasts wounded several anti-government protesters blockading Bangkok's international airport on Wednesday, protest leaders said, as chaos ruled inside the terminal and all flights were halted.
One bomb wounded four members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a spokesman said, hours after the PAD stormed Suvarnabhumi airport late on Tuesday in a dramatic escalation of its six-month campaign to oust Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat.
The Nation newspaper said on its website three explosions had been heard outside the $4 billion terminal, the gateway for nearly 15 million tourists to Thailand last year.
The Nation said a fourth blast appeared to target PAD supporters in another part of Bangkok. It said 12 people were wounded in the overnight attacks, but police have not confirmed the casualties.
Somchai was due to return from an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru on Wednesday afternoon, amid rumours he may declare a state of emergency. A government spokesman said he would not land at Suvarnabhumi.
"I will get off the plane wherever it lands," the Bangkok Post quoted him as saying from Peru.
Thousands of passengers slept overnight on benches and luggage carousels, many annoyed that airport staff fled when the PAD demonstrators, dressed in their movement's yellow shirts, invaded the terminal, forcing officials to cancel flights.
"We came here and we saw all these people in yellow. We thought they were football fans. Now we're just waiting," said a Dutchman who gave his name as Mark.
Hide
Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
Bookmarks