Suthep’s Protests Turns Away Tourists at a Cost of Half a Billion U.S. Dollars to Date

An anti-government protester blows a whistle outside the Government complex in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)

 

BANGKOK – Flag-waving protesters vowing to topple Thailand’s prime minister took to the streets of Bangkok for a fourth day Wednesday, massing in the thousands at half a dozen government ministries and raising fears of fresh political violence in Bangkok.

In a city of some 10 million people, the demonstrators appeared to number in the tens of thousands — far less than the 100,000-plus mustered when they began Sunday. The numbers indicate they are unlikely to bring down the government on their own without more popular support, or judicial or military intervention.

Suthep says his goal is to replace the government with a non-elected council

By late afternoon, whistle-blowing throngs had massed inside or around at least six of the government’s 19 ministries, although they left half of them after a few hours. One large group led by protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban entered a sprawling government office complex that houses the Department of Special Investigation, the country’s equivalent of the FBI, and prepared to camp there overnight.

Yingluck has repeatedly offered to negotiate an end to the crisis. So far, security forces have not even fired tear gas to prevent protesters from forcing the closure of multiple government offices.

“We must not regard this as a win-or-lose situation,” Yingluck told reporters at parliament. “Today no one is winning or losing, only the country is hurting.”

A Thai government tourism official said the country has lost 300,000 tourists from the ongoing protests so far, at a cost of half a billion U.S. dollars.

Late Tuesday, police issued an arrest warrant for Suthep, a former lawmaker. There appeared to be no attempt to detain him, however, as he led some 6,000 supporters early Wednesday out of the Finance Ministry, which had been converted into an ad hoc protest headquarters since crowds stormed it Monday.

As Suthep walked through the crowd at the DSI offices, he was regarded as a hero, treating admirers to a big smile in the manner of the veteran politician he is. Many of the occupiers are from the country’s south, Suthep’s homeland and the stronghold of the opposition Democrat Party, which is aligned with the protest. Free food and water is available at all times, but boredom or paranoia causes a few to turn their attentions to foreign journalists, who are eyed warily. On Tuesday, a German photographer was roughed up at one of the other protest sites.

Suthep says his goal is to replace the government with a non-elected council, a change he said was necessary to eradicate the political machine of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.