Beginning in 2008, there was worsening conflict between the

People's Alliance for Democracy The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD; ; commonly known as "Yellow Shirts") was a Thai reactionary, monarchist political movement and pressure group. It was originally a coalition of protesters against Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime M ...

(PAD) and the People's Power Party (PPP) governments of Prime Ministers

Samak Sundaravej Samak Sundaravej (, , ; 13 June 1935 – 24 November 2009) was a Thai politician who briefly served as the Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Defence in 2008, as well as the leader of the People's Power Party in 2008. Early life and fa ...

and

Somchai Wongsawat Somchai Wongsawat (, ; born 31 August 1947) is a Thai politician who briefly served as the prime minister of Thailand in 2008. He is a former executive member of the People's Power Party (PPP) whose political rights were disenfranchised by ...

. It was a continuation of the 2005–2006 political crisis, when PAD protested against the

Thai Rak Thai The Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT; , , ; "Thais Love Thais Party") was a list of political parties in Thailand, Thai political party founded in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under its founder, Prime Minister of Thailand, Prime Mini ...

(TRT) party government of Prime Minister

Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (, ; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai businessman and politician who was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Since 2009 he has also been a citizen of Montenegro. Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator A ...

. PAD followers usually dressed in yellow, yellow being the royal color of King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...

, and were called "yellow shirts".

National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD; , alternatively translated as National Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship), whose supporters are commonly called Red Shirts (Thailand), Red Shirts, is a political pressure group ...

(UDD) followers, known as supporters of the deposed prime minister

, dressed in red and were widely called "red shirts".

History

The PPP won the December 2007 general election. Though it became the largest party in the House, it did not gain an absolute majority. PPP became the leading party when five other smaller parties, previously allies of

, agreed to join the coalition government under

. The coalition government vowed to amend the 2007 constitution which they called undemocratic, prompting PAD to resume protests against the constitutional amendment plan after having suspended its movement after the 2006 coup. PAD charged that the amendment was aimed at revoking charges against Thaksin and election fraud charges by PPP executive members. The Samak government suspended its amendment plan, yet PAD vowed to continue their protest, calling for Samak Sundaravej's resignation, noting that during his election campaign, he had declared himself a nominee of Thaksin. Tensions escalated when PAD seized Government House. Samak was forced to resign in September after the

Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...

found him guilty of being an employee of a television cooking program after he became the prime minister. PPP deputy leader

, vice president of PPP and a brother-in-law of Thaksin, became the new prime minister. This change prompted continued PAD protests. The protests led to violent clashes between the police, PAD, and anti-PAD protesters on 7 October as the government aimed to disperse them from blocking the entrances of the House. A PAD protester was killed by a grenade near the premier's office and a member of the PAD security forces was killed when his car exploded. Many protesters were also injured. As PAD was attacked, it stepped up its protests by seizing the government's temporary offices at

Don Mueang Airport Don Mueang International Airport — known as Bangkok International Airport before 2006 — is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the other being Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). The airport is considered ...

, and the seizure and closure of Suvarnabhumi Airport after the arrest of

Chamlong Srimuang Chamlong Srimuang (; born 5 July 1935) is a Thai activist and former politician. A former general, he was a leader of the "Young Turks" military clique, founded and led the Palang Dharma Party, served for six years as governor of Bangkok, led Bl ...

, one of its leaders. The sieges ended in December when the Constitutional Court dissolved the PPP and banned its executive board from political office after finding it guilty of election fraud. The Constitutional Court dissolved two coalition partners of the PPP on similar charges, which broke the coalition apart. Prime minister Somchai resigned. It is alleged that the army then urged MPs of a former PPP faction, the Friends of Newin Group, and MPs of the former PPP coalition partners to cross the aisle and form a coalition with the Democrat Party leader

Abhisit Vejjajiva Abhisit Vejjajiva (; , , ; born 3 August 1964) is a Thai politician who was the 27th prime minister of Thailand from 2008 to 2011. He was the leader of the Democrat Party from 2005 until he resigned following the party's weak performance in t ...

. After days of negotiations, Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the Democrat Party, was voted in by a margin of 235 in favor, 198 against. The

opposed to what it called the "Thaksin system", which is seen by some as the Thaksin' "autocracy", his domination of independent supervisory institutions and violations of human rights and the freedom of the press. It began the mass protest against Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006 after the removal of the critical TV program of Sondhi Limthongkul. In 2008, PAD accused

and

of being proxies for Thaksin. Samak had announced that he was Thaksin's nominee during his election campaign, Somchai is Thaksin's brother-in-law, and several new

Pheu Thai Party The Pheu Thai Party (PT or PTP; , ) is a major conservative populist list of political parties in Thailand, political party in Thailand. It is the third incarnation of the Thai Rak Thai Party, a political party founded by former Prime Minister ...

members are former TRT/PPP members. PAD was opposed to all attempts to reform the constitution in ways that would allow politicians banned from political office to re-enter politics, and to revoking the charges against Thaksin. PAD has also called for "new politics", a "new age of politics, free from the corrupted politicians". In May 2009, PAD founded its party, the New Politics Party. One of the PAD's major aims was to oppose what it considered the anti-monarchy movement, supposedly among some Thaksin supporters. PAD promoted the role of the king as the guard of the all people's power against the "corrupted politician". That is why PAD uses yellow, Rama IX's symbolic birthday colour, Monday, as its brand. Yet its ideology was blasted by some critics as "anti-democratic". The

(UDD) was the group consisting mainly of social activists, scholars, and Thaksin supporters who opposed the 2006 coup deposing Thaksin Shinawatra. It believed that the coup was supported by powerful persons, the "elites" or "nobles", targeting

Prem Tinsulanonda Prem Tinsulanonda (, , ; 26 August 1920 – 26 May 2019) was a Thai military officer, politician, and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 1980 to 1988. During Prem’s tenure as prime minister, he was credited with end ...

, head of the privy council. The UDD aimed to topple the ''amatayathipatai'' (government run by traditional elites, nobles, and the bureaucratic polity). In the April 2009 protest, its aims were the immediate resignation of the prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and members of the privy council,

and

Surayud Chulanont Surayud Chulanont (, , ; born 28 August 1943) is a Thai politician. He was the prime minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's interim government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a trans ...

, as well as new elections. It also demanded that charges be brought against PAD for the 2008 airport seizures and unrest. Several members of parliament in the

were vocal in their support of UDD, as well as of Thaksin Shinawatra himself.

Origins of the crisis

The 2008 crisis had its roots in the 2005–2006 Thai political crisis, the 2005 election and 2006 elections, the 2006 coup, and the 2007 general election. Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai party (TRT) won a landslide victory in the 2001 election, the first elections held under the Thai Constitution of 1997. Thaksin's grassroots economic policies helped reduce poverty and provided universal health care, making him hugely popular in rural

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. His drug policies were effective at reducing drug use but were attacked for the large number of extrajudicial executions that resulted. He was accused of conflicts of interest due to his family's continued holdings in

Shin Corporation Intouch Holdings PCL (; formerly Shin Corporation) is a Thai holding company which focuses on the telecommunication industry. It is the parent company of Advanced Info Service (AIS), the largest mobile phone operator in Thailand, and Thaicom, ...

, the telecoms business that he founded prior to becoming Premier. Despite this, he became the first politician in Thai history to finish his term. Thaksin's re-election in 2005 election had the highest voter turnout in Thai history.Pongsudhirak Thitinan, "Victory places Thaksin at crossroads", ''Bangkok Post'', 9 February 2005Aurel Croissant and Daniel J. Pojar, Jr.
Quo Vadis Thailand? Thai Politics after the 2005 Parliamentary Election
, Strategic Insights, Volume IV, Issue 6 (June 2005) Media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul had been a staunch supporter of Thaksin until major losses at state-owned Krung Thai Bank caused CEO Viroj Nualkhair to be fired. Viroj was Sondhi's former banker and had forgiven Sondhi for billions in bad personal debts. Sondhi's levied public criticisms of Thaksin on his TV show and his media outlets, the

Manager Daily ''Manager Daily'' (; ) is a Thai-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. T ...

newspaper and ASTV. Sondhi's

soon gathered supporters among Dhammayuttika Nikaya disciples of Luang Ta Maha Bua, prominent socialites and members of the Thai royal family who claimed that Thaksin frequently insulted King

, several state-enterprise unions who were against Thaksin's state-enterprise privatization plans, and various factions in the Royal Thai Army who claimed that Thaksin promoted only those who were loyal to him. The movement gained in popularity after Thaksin's family sold their share in Shin Corporation to

Temasek Holdings Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited ( ) is a Singaporean State ownership, state-owned multinational investment firm. Incorporated on 25 June 1974, Temasek has a net portfolio of US$288 billion (S$389 billion) as of 2024. Headquartered at Orchard ...

while making use of a regulation that exempted individuals from paying

capital gains tax A capital gains tax (CGT) is the tax on profits realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals, real estate, and property. In South Africa, capital g ...

. The PAD led protests demanding that Thaksin pay additional taxes, despite the SEC and the Revenue Department saying that no wrong had been done. The protests escalated. In February 2006, Army Commander

Sonthi Boonyaratglin Sonthi Boonyaratglin (, , ; born 2 October 1946) is a Thai former general who was Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for Democratic Reform, the military junta that ruled the kingdom.The Nation
The persistent myth of the 'good' coup
, 2 October 2006กรุงเทพธุรกิจ
พล.ท.สพรั่ง กัลยาณมิตร"วางแผนปฏิรูปการปกครองมาแล้ว 7–8 เดือน"
24 September 2006Thanapol Eawsakul, "The Coup for Democracy with the King as Head of State", Fa Dieo Kan special issue, 2007 On 14 July 2006, Privy Council President

addressed graduating cadets of the

Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy (CRMA) (; ) is the service academy of Royal Thai Army (RTA). Established in 1887 it has graduated the majority of Thailand's military leaders, many of whom have become Prime Ministers of Thailand, Thai prime m ...

, telling them that the Thai military must obey the orders of the King – not the Government. The coup was executed on 19 September 2006 while Thaksin was attending a UN summit, just weeks before a planned Parliamentary election. The junta canceled the elections, abrogated the Constitution, dissolved Parliament, banned protests and all political activities, suppressed and censored the media, declared martial law, and arrested Cabinet members. The PAD voluntarily dissolved after announcing that its goals had been accomplished. Surayud Chulanont, Prem's former close aide, was appointed prime minister. A junta-appointed court banned the TRT and 111 of its executives from politics for five years. Privy Council President Prem harshly criticized Thaksin, who was in exile, comparing him to

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

. A junta-appointed committee drafted a substantially revised constitution. Elections were scheduled for December 2007. Many TRT politicians moved to the People's Power Party. The PPP won the December elections and nominated

as Premier.

2008 resumption of PAD protests

The Samak Sundaravej government, elected in the December 2007 general elections, came under pressure to resign since May 2008, when the

(PAD) reformed and staged regular street protests. They protested the government's proposals to amend the 2007 constitution, claiming that Prime Minister

and his government are acting as a proxy for former deposed prime minister

. The PAD also criticized the Samak government's decision to support the Cambodian government's application for the listing of the disputed

Preah Vihear Temple Preah Vihear Temple ( Khmer: ប្រាសាទព្រះវិហារ ''Prasat Preah Vihear''; ; ) is an ancient Hindu temple built by the Khmer Empire, located on top of a cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains, in the Preah Vihear provin ...

as a World Heritage site. Tensions rose between Thailand and Cambodia as the PAD called for Thai investors to withdraw from Cambodia, the closure of all 40 Thai-Cambodian border checkpoints, a ban on all flights from Thailand to

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Cambodia, most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industr ...

and

Siem Reap Siem Reap (, ) is the second-largest city of Cambodia, as well as the capital and largest city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. Siem Reap possesses French-colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old French Quarter ...

, the construction of a naval base at Koh Kut near the border, and the abolition of the committee which oversees demarcation of overlapping sea areas and the unilateral declaration of a Thai marine map. In late June, the opposition filed a no-confidence motion in parliament, which the government survived. The PAD proposed that the constitution be amended to reduce the proportion of elected members of Parliament. This would disenfranchise the rural population, which the PAD viewed as being insufficiently educated to vote for anti-Thaksin Shinawatra parties.

Siege of Government House

Tensions escalated to crisis when on Tuesday 26 August the protesters stormed and occupied the grounds of the Government House, displacing the prime minister from his offices. Another armed group attacked the headquarters of the National Broadcasting Services of Thailand, while the offices of three ministries were also partially invaded. Major roads into Bangkok were blocked by PAD supporters. Prime Minister Samak remained defiant, refusing to resign, while also vowing not to violently remove the protesters. Despite a court warrant for the arrest of the PAD's nine leaders and a Civil Court order to evacuate, the PAD remained firmly lodged in the government compound. Friday 29th saw semi-violent clashes at various protest sites between protesters and riot police, who were still largely unable to control the group. Transport infrastructure was disrupted beginning 29 August, with state railway workers union, the PAD's alliance, was on strike partially disabling train services. PAD demonstrators occupied the runways of and closed down airports in the southern cities of Hat Yai, Phuket and Krabi. (The airports later reopened on the 30th and 31st.) The State Enterprise Worker's Union threatened to disrupt public infrastructure services including electricity, waterworks, airline, bus, port and communications services, beginning with police and government offices, on 3 September. Prime Minister Samak called an emergency session of parliament on 31 August to resolve the issue, but refused to dissolve parliament as suggested by the opposition. Meanwhile, pro-Thaksin protesters calling themselves the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship of Thailand (UDDT) began to gather in

Sanam Luang Sanam Luang (, ; ), officially Thong Sanam Luang (), is a open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is in the Phra Nakhon District, the historic center of Bangkok. In the ''Roy ...

September 2008 state of emergency

One week after the PAD began occupation of the Government House grounds, violence erupted as members of the UDDT clashed with the PAD in a melee involving firearms, resulting in 43 injuries and at least one death. Prime Minister Samak, by virtue of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situation, BE 2548 (2005), declared a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...

in Bangkok at 07.00 hours of the following morning. Sundaravej also put Gen

Anupong Paochinda Anupong Paochinda (; ; born 10 October 1949) is a Thai politician and retired army officer. He held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army from 2007 until his retirement on 30 September 2010. While a lieutenant general holding ...

, Army Commander in Chief, in charge of the remedy of the said State of Emergency, and appointed Pol Gen Patcharavat Wongsuwan, National Police Commander in Chief, and Lt Gen

Prayuth Chan-ocha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 coup d'état and served unt ...

, 1st Army Area Commander as assistants to Gen Anupong. He also issued bans on the gathering or assemblage of more than five persons within the Bangkok Metropolis; on the nationwide press release, distribution or dissemination of letters, publications or any other information containing the matters which may instigate apprehension amongst the people or is intended to distort information in order to mislead an understanding of the State of Emergency to the extent of affecting the security of state or public peace and order or good moral of the people; and on other matters which were a kind of public rights and liberties restriction.Government Gazette, "Declaration of the State of Emergency within the areas of Bangkok Metropolis" However, on the same day, Mr Nitithon Lamluea, a member of Thailand Lawyer Council's Human Rights Committee, lodged with the Supreme Administrative Court a complaint against Prime Minister Samak accusing him of abuse of power as he imposed a state of emergency in Bangkok, but the circumstances on 2 September were not what was prescribed in said Emergency Decree as being a State of Emergency. The complaint also requested the Court to revoke the State of Emergency. Tej Bunnag, then the Minister of Foreign Affairs, resigned from office as he disagreed with the Government's measures to remedy the crisis and felt uneasy in representing the Government to foreigners when explaining the prevailing circumstances to them. On 14 September, the Government issued an Announcement revoking the State of Emergency throughout Bangkok together with all the pertinent announcements, orders, and articles.

Fall of Samak

On 9 September 2008, the

Constitutional Court of Thailand The Constitutional Court (, , ), officially the Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Thailand, is a Thai court created by the 1997 constitution with jurisdiction over the constitutionality of parliamentary acts, royal decrees, draft legisl ...

found that Samak had hosted and received payment for hosting two cooking TV shows, "Tasting and Grumbling" and "All Set at 6 am," for a few months after he had become prime minister. He had been hosting the shows for years prior to becoming Premier. Section 267 of the

2007 Constitution of Thailand The ''Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand, Buddhist Era 2550 (2007)'' (; ) was the constitution of Thailand which was in effect from 2007 to 2014. On 19 September 2006, the Royal Thai Armed Forces staged a 2006 Thai coup d'état, coup d'é ...

forbids members of the Cabinet from being employees of any person; this was to prevent conflicts of interest. The court found that although Samak was a contractor to the show's producers, and did not fit the definition of the term "employee" as defined under the Civil and Commercial Code, the law on labour protection or the law on taxation, the spirit of the Constitution gave a broader definition to the term. It thus found Samak guilty of breaching the Constitution and terminated his premiership. A session of the House of Representatives was held on 12 September to vote for a new prime minister. The People Power Party decided to renominate Samak as Premier (he had stopped hosting the TV shows earlier that year and thus was no longer an employee). The session was cut short because the House lacked a quorum. The nomination of a new prime minister was postponed until 17 September, where the PPP successfully nominated Deputy Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat as Premier.

Reactions to court decision

Karn Tienkaew, deputy leader of Samak's People Power Party, said the party planned to propose a parliamentary vote Wednesday on returning Samak to power: "Samak still has legitimacy. The party still hopes to vote him back unless he says no. Otherwise we have many other capable candidates." On 10 September 2008, however, the PPP shied away from their earlier statement they would renominate Sundaravej and was apparently looking for an alternative candidate instead; the new PM was to be nominated on 12 September 2008. People Power Party's deputy spokesman Kuthep Suthin Klangsang, on 12 September 2008, announced that: "Samak has accepted his nomination for prime minister. Samak said he is confident that parliament will find him fit for office, and that he is happy to accept the post. A majority of party members voted Thursday to reappoint Samak. Samak is the leader of our party so he is the best choice." Despite objections from its coalition partners, the PPP, in an urgent meeting, unanimously decided to renominate

. 5 coalition parties, namely Chart Thai, Neutral Democratic, Pracharaj, Puea Pandin and Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana, unanimously agreed to support the People Power party (PPP) to set up the new government and vote for the person who should be nominated as the new prime minister. Chart Thai deputy leader Somsak Prissananantakul and Ruam Jai Thai Chart Pattana leader Chettha Thanajaro said the next prime minister who will be nominated on Friday. Caretaker prime minister

said PPP secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee will notify the 5 parties who the PPP nominates to take office again. Some lawmakers, however, said they will propose an alternate candidate. Meanwhile, Thailand's army chief Gen.

said he backed the creation of a unity government that would include all the country's parties, and he also asked for the lifting of a state of emergency that Samak imposed on 2 September. On 12 September 2008, the

quorum A quorum is the minimum number of members of a group necessary to constitute the group at a meeting. In a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature), a quorum is necessary to conduct the business of ...

for selecting the new PM was not reached and the decision was delayed to 17 September 2008 in an event seen as signaling the end of Samak's career. After its four coalition partners stated they'd prefer someone else to become PM instead of Samak, the PPP agreed to drop his nomination. Embattled Samak Sundaravej abandoned his bid to regain his Thailand Prime Minister post, and Teerapon Noprampa said Samak would also give up the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) leadership. Meanwhile, PPP's chief party spokesman Kudeb Saikrachang and Kan Thiankaew announced on 13 September that caretaker prime minister

, caretaker justice minister Sompong Amornwiwat, and PPP Secretary-General Surapong Suebwonglee were PPP's candidates for the premiership. However, Suriyasai Katasila of

(a group of royalist businessmen, academics, and activists), vowed to continue its occupation of Government House if a PPP candidate would be nominated: "We would accept anyone as prime minister, as long as he is not from the PPP." The ruling People Power Party, on 15 September 2008, named

, as its candidate for prime minister to succeed Samak Sundaravej.

was ratified by the

National Assembly of Thailand The Parliament of Thailand ( Abrv: NAT; , , ) is the bicameral legislative branch of the government of Thailand. It convenes in the Sappaya-Sapasathan, Dusit District, Bangkok. The Parliament was established in 1932 after the adoption of Thai ...

Prime Minister of Thailand The prime minister of Thailand (, , ; literally 'chief minister of state') is the head of government of Thailand. The prime minister is also the chair of the cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Siamese Revolution of 1932, when ...

on 17 September, winning 263 votes against 163 votes for

October violence

Chamlong's arrest

On 4 and 5 October 2008, respectively,

and rally organizer, Chaiwat Sinsuwongse, of

, were detained by the Thai police on charges of

insurrection Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...

, conspiracy, illegal assembly, and refusing orders to disperse (

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...

) against each of them and eight other protest leaders. At the Government House, Sondhi Limthongkul, however, stated that demonstrations would continue.

Clashes and the siege of Parliament

Armed with batons, PAD forces surrounded Parliament and used

razor wire Barbed tape or razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose is to prevent trespassing by humans or to secure facilities such as prisons where there is a risk of escape. The term "razor wire", through long usage, has gener ...

barricades to prevent the legislature from meeting to hear Samak's replacement, Somchai Wongsawat, formally announce his policies. The government decided to crack down on the protesters. Police used tear gas but many bullets were fired at the protesters. Many protesters got seriously wounded; some even lost legs, causing over a hundred injuries. One additional PAD leader was killed, claimed by the police, when the bomb in his car went off in front of the headquarters of the

Chart Thai Party Thai Nation Party, or Chart Thai Party (, ) was a conservative political party in Thailand. It was dissolved by the Constitutional Court of Thailand on December 2, 2008, along with the People's Power Party and the Neutral Democratic Party, for hav ...

, a member of the government coalition.AFP
One dead, hundreds injured in Thai anti-government protests
, 7 October 2008AP
Blood on Thai streets as political crisis worsens
, 7 October 2008 Several protesters lost their hands and legs, although it was not clear whether these injuries were caused by tear gas rounds or the ping-pong grenades. Pornthip Rojanasunand, Director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, claimed that the loss of one particular PAD member's leg could not have been the result of tear gas usage, but came from a more powerful explosion. After viewing photographs of Angkhana Radappanyawut's injuries, Pornthip Rojanasunand suggested unequivocally that the death was caused by the explosion of a tear gas canister. She also stated that there was no need to conduct further investigations into the death and injuries of protesters because it became clear that they were caused by weapons of police. Investigations took place while charges against the police and government were filed by many protesters. Afterwards, Doctor Suthep Kolcharnwit of Chulalongkorn Hospital led a campaign calling for doctors to refuse medical care to police injured during the clashes as a protest against the violence. Doctors from several major Bangkok hospitals joined him in his campaign. Doctor Suthep Kolcharnwit of the

Chulalongkorn University Chulalongkorn University (CU; ; , ) is a public university, public Autonomous university, autonomous research university in Bangkok, Thailand. The university was originally founded during King Chulalongkorn's reign as a school for training ro ...

Faculty of Medicine along with several doctors from also refused to provide medical care to police injured in the clash, and urged doctors of other hospitals to boycott police as well. After the violent crash, the demonstrators returned; the siege of the parliament was given up in the evening. Yet demonstrators started the siege of police headquarters near the Government House. The demonstrators called for the counter-attack on police force, then new clash erupted, causing the death of a female protester and injury of several protesters. The PAD leaders called the demonstrators to return to the Government House and limit the protest only at their 'stronghold', at the House, avoid using violence. Then calm returned to Bangkok.

Queen's appearance

On 13 October 2008, Queen Sirikit presided over the funeral ceremony of Angkhana Radappanyawut, the PAD supporter who had been killed by police during the protests. The Queen was accompanied by her youngest daughter, Princess Chulabhorn, Army Chief

, Opposition Leader

, and many high-ranked officials, but there were no signs of any police personnel. The Queen received a jubilant welcome from thousands of PAD supporters.Krungthep Business, "พระราชินีรับสั่งน้องโบว์เป็นเด็กดี 'ช่วยชาติ-รักษาสถาบัน'".Reuters, "Thai queen weighs in with anti-govt protesters.". She spoke with the deceased's father, Jinda Radappanyawut, who later said she was concerned for the welfare of the protesters and "would soon send us flowers". Her Majesty told Angsana's parents that their daughter had sacrificed her life for the sake of the monarchy, and that she was a good person. Previously, the revered Queen had donated

฿ The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...

1 million to cover the medical expenses of those injured on both sides in the clashes. The protesters tried to claim the financial donation as a gesture of support for them, though in reality it went to aid injured policemen as well. The King also made a financial contribution to the dead woman's family. Since the Queen's appearance was without precedent in modern times, many academicians and media deemed them to be "unusual" and perhaps an "explicit royal backing to a five-month street campaign to oust the elected government". Yet one could claim in support of the PAD that really was there was a small 'anti-monarchy' movement which supported Thaksin. This disturbed many monarchists. Sondhi Limthongkul, forefront leader of PAD, had claimed this since 2005, when he started criticizing Thaksin Shinawatra for his 'inappropriate' act defaming the monarchy when Thaksin held a religious ceremony at the royal temple of Wat Phra Kaeo. From then on, PAD has accused Thaksin's followers as being 'anti-monarchy'. The UDD's and Thaksin's harsh attack on Prem Tinsulanonda, head of royal Privy Council and close advisor of the king, has been seen as a contradiction of Thai tradition and a hidden attempt to make a regime change. Moreover, a leader of UDD, such Jakrapob Penkair has engaged in public criticism of the role of the monarchy, mostly, seen 'negatively'. Several UDD leaders were also charged and arrested and accused of insulting the monarchy, a crime under Thai criminal law. The PAD, therefore, has always claimed that it was defending the most revered institution according to the Constitutions, blasting UDD and Thaksin Shinawatra as anti-monarchist. The controversial issue of the monarchy has been then one of the fierce causes among these factions' supporters.

Airport seizures

Protest at Suvarnabhumi International Airport and closures of airports

On the evening of Tuesday 25 November 2008, the PAD executed what they called "Operation

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

." A convoy of hundreds of armed PAD members dressed in yellow blocked the two ends of the road in front of the terminal building of

Suvarnabhumi International Airport Suvarnabhumi Airport is the main international airport serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Located mostly in Racha Thewa subdistrict, Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan province, it covers an area of , making it one of the biggest intern ...

, Bangkok's main airport and an important regional hub and blockaded the main road to the airport, aiming at resisting the landing of the prime minister's flight. PAD forces quickly overpowered hundreds of policemen armed with riot gear. PAD leaders mounted a mobile stage and proceeded to criticize the government. PAD members armed with clubs, iron bars and knives, with some wearing black balaclavas, then entered the terminal, much to the surprise of the thousands of travellers inside.

Official closure of the airport

PAD forces also forced their way into the control tower, demanding the flight plan for Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat's return from the

APEC Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC ) is an inter-governmental forum for 21 member economy , economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Following the success of Association of Southeast Asia ...

summit in

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. Somchai flew into Bangkok

Don Mueang International Airport Don Mueang International Airport — known as Bangkok International Airport before 2006 — is one of two international airports serving Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, the other being Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK). The airport is considered ...

on the evening of 25 November 2008 before flying on to

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...

. After hours of turmoil, the

Airports of Thailand Airports of Thailand plc (AOT) () is a public company that manages ten international airports in Thailand. AOT was established on September 20, 2002, as a result of the privatisation of the state-owned Airports Authority of Thailand (AAT). At t ...

, AOT, eventually decided that all Suvarnabhumi flights were suspended, leaving thousands of travelers stranded in the airport., this action led to the official closure of the airport later. The government called on the Royal Thai Army to restore order at the airport. The Army did not follow the orders. In a press conference on 26 November, Army Commander General

proposed that the PAD withdraw from the airport and that the government resign. He also proposed that if the PAD did not comply, that they be subject to "social sanctions", whereas if the government did not comply, that the bureaucracy stop implementing government orders. A written copy of the proposal was sent to the government. Neither the PAD or the government complied with the proposal. At 4:30 am on the morning of 26 November, three explosions were heard on the fourth floor of Suvarnbumi on the outside of the passenger terminal. Another explosion was reported at 6 am. Several people were injured. It was not clear who set off the explosions. The PAD did not allow the police or forensics experts to investigate the explosions.Asian Human Rights Committee
THAILAND: Watershed moment for democracy and rule of law
, 26 November 2008

Attempts to evict the PAD

Also on 26 November, the Civil Court issued an injunction ordering the PAD to leave the Suvarnabhumi International Airport immediately. Notices of the injunction were placed on the front doors of the houses of the 13 PAD leaders. The PAD did not comply with the injunction. On the evening of 27 November, the government declared a state of emergency around the two occupied airports and ordered police to clear out PAD forces. The state of emergency allowed the military to ban public gatherings of more than five people. The Navy was assigned to aid police at Suvarnabhumi, while the Air Force was assigned to aid police at Don Muang. The Army's spokesman noted, "The army disagrees with using troops to resolve the problem. The army does not want to do that, and it is not appropriate to do that." The PAD was defiant. PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila announced that the PAD would fight off police. "If the government wants to clear the protesters, let it try. The PAD will protect all locations because we are using our rights to demonstrate peacefully without causing damages to state properties or rioting," Suriyasai said. Suriyasai also threatened to use human shields if police attempted to disperse the PAD. On the morning of 28 November, PAD leader Chamlong Srimuang announced to PAD forces that he had received a call from an unspecified "senior person" (ผู้ใหญ่ท่านหนึ่ง) telling him to end the rallies. But he refused to do what the senior person told him. "For the past 108 days, the Alliance has protested together under hardship, while another group of people has remained in comfort. They can't just suddenly ask us to stop protesting," he told the assembled forces. Addressing supporters on ASTV, Sondhi said, "If we have to die today, I am willing to die. This is a fight for dignity." Police manned checkpoints on roads leading to the airport. At one checkpoint, police found 15 home-made guns, an axe, and other weapons in a Dharma Army six-wheel truck taking 20 protesters to Suvarnabhumi airport. One checkpoint, about 2 kilometers from the airport, was attacked by armed PAD forces in vehicles, causing the police to withdraw. Police Senior Sgt Maj Sompop Nathee, an officer from the Border Patrol Police Region 1, later returned to the scene of the clash and was detained by PAD forces. He was interrogated by Samran Rodphet, a PAD leader, and then detained inside the airport. Reporters and photographers tried to follow Sompop to his interrogation, but PAD forces did not allow them. PAD supporters were moved from Government House to the airport. With the exception of one airplane leaving for the

Hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

, no flights with passengers were allowed for eight days. The PAD was apologetic to inconvenienced travelers in the airports and offered them food.

End of the siege

Shortly after the Constitutional Court dissolved the three parties of the government coalition on 2 December 2008, the PAD held a press conference where they announced that they were ending all of their protests as of 10 am local time (GMT 7+) on 3 December 2008. "We have won a victory and achieved our aims," said Sondhi Limthongkul. Flights from Suvarnabhumi resumed on 4 December, when a Thai Airways flight departed for Sydney, Australia. Thai Airways expected to have five other international flights departing on 4 and 5 December to New Delhi, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Seoul, and Copenhagen. Passengers for these flights had to check in at a convention centre outside the airport.

Views on the seizure

Democrat Party

Democrat Party MP for Sukhothai, Samphan Benchaphon, said of the airport seizure that the PAD "have the right to do it." Democrat Party MP for Bangkok, Thawil Praison, said that the PAD "could seize the airport and doing so is not excessive. The entire world understands that this is a normal matter in the struggle of democratic countries."

International reactions

The governments of China, France, New Zealand, Singapore, Britain, the United States, Australia, and Japan warned their citizens to avoid Thailand and steer clear of protesters at the airport. The

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

urged the protesters to peacefully leave the airports. EU ambassadors to Thailand wrote in a joint statement that the demonstrators are hurting Thailand's image and economy, continuing "While respecting the right of protesting and without interfering in any way with the internal political debate in Thailand, the EU considers that these actions are totally inappropriate". US State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said that occupying the airports was "not an appropriate means of protest" and that the PAD should "walk away from the airports peacefully."

Closure of Bangkok Don Muang Airport

On the night of 26 November 2008, the services at the

were stopped after the People's Alliance for Democracy seized control of the domestic passenger terminal. A bomb exploded near a bunker made of tires near the main entrance to the passenger terminal at Don Muang Airport at 3.55 am on 30 November. Before the explosion occurred, about seven gunshots were heard from the direction of a warehouse deeper inside the airport compound. No one was injured in the explosion. It was not clear who or what set the bomb off. A plainclothes policewoman at the airport was identified and captured by PAD security forces and forced onto the main PAD stage inside the airport. Angry PAD protesters threw water at her and many tried to hit her. She was eventually allowed to leave the airport.

Constitutional Court ruling on parties' dissolution

Prior to the decision

In December 2008, the

was scheduled to rule on whether or not to dissolve the PPP, Chart Thai, and Matchima Thippatai parties on

electoral fraud Electoral fraud, sometimes referred to as election manipulation, voter fraud, or vote rigging, involves illegal interference with the process of an election, either by increasing the vote share of a favored candidate, depressing the vote share o ...

charges. If the parties were dissolved, executives of the parties could have their political rights stripped for five years. However, non-executive MPs of the parties have the right to change parties for a period of time after the court decision. 37 PPP executives were also MPs, although 8 had resigned, leaving only 14. If the PPP was to be dissolved, the number of MPs they have would fall from 233 to 219. Out of Chart Thai's 43 executives, 19 of them are MPs. No Matchima executives are MPs. Thus, if the Constitutional Court dissolved all three parties, the government coalition would reduce in size to 283 out of a total of 447 MPs in Parliament – a majority is 224. The opposition Democrat Party has only 164 MPs. If all the non-PPP parties allied with the Democrats, they would have a total of 228 MPs – only 4 MPs above a majority. The site for the court decision was changed from the Constitutional Court to the Supreme Administrative Court after UDD supporters surrounded the Constitution Court. The Supreme Administrative court was protected by Royal Thai Army troops armed with M16 rifles. The Constitutional Court handed down its decision immediately after hearing closing comments from the Chart Thai party.

Summary of decision

Prior to the delivery of decision, judge Chat Chonlaworn, President of the nine-judge panel, remarked that:

Thai Rath ''Thairath'' (, lit. ''Thai State'') is a daily newspaper in Thai published in Bangkok and distributed nationwide. The paper is a broadsheet published with two sections. The first section is devoted to news. Although the news section is best kn ...

. (2008, 3 December). ''The three parties dissolved, and Thaksin's emergent phone-in to continue fighting.'' nline Available: < >. (Retrieved 4 December 2008).

Following the decision

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was, therefore, disqualified by the Court's decision, and replaced in a caretaker capacity by Chaovarat Chanweerakul, the Deputy Prime Minister. The PPP issued a statement calling the ruling a "judicial coup", and called into question the court's procedures, for instance, allowing all the PPP's witnesses only 2 hours to speak. It also noted that the wife of one of the judges was an active PAD member, and said that these and other irregularities would likely lead the Thai people to call the integrity of the court into question and see the ruling as an alternative means of accomplishing a coup.PPP
แถลงการณ์ของกรรมการบริหารพรรคพลังประชาชน
, 2 December 2008 Former PPP MPs and members founded the For Thais Party to prepare for the event that the PPP should be banned, and PPP members immediately started joining the For Thais Party. Reelections for the 26 constituencies of the banned executive members from the three parties were held on 11 December 2008. On 6 December 2008, the opposition Democrat Party announced it had garnered sufficient support from former coalition partners of PPP and their splinters to be able to form a government, while For Thais claimed the same, adding that it had already been joined by more than a third of MPs. The coalition partners of the Democrat Party appeared to be most of the dissolved parties, the

Thai Nation Party Thai Nation Party, or Chart Thai Party (, ) was a Conservatism, conservative political party in Thailand. It was dissolved by the Constitutional Court of Thailand on December 2, 2008, along with the People's Power Party (Thailand), People's Power P ...

and the

Neutral Democratic Party The Neutral Democratic Party (PMT; Thai: พรรคมัชฌิมาธิปไตย) was a short-lived populist political party in Thailand founded in 2007 by Somsak Thepsuthin, a former Thai Rak Thai Party cabinet minister. The part ...

, as well as the Thais United National Development Party, the For the Motherland party, and the " Friends of Newin" faction, a splinter of the banned PPP. On 15 December 2008,

was elected the new prime minister. Army commander and co-leader of the 2006 coup, General Anupong Paochinda, was widely reported to have coerced PPP MPs to defect to the Democrat Party. PAD leader Khamnoon Sitthisamarn and junta-appointed Senator called Abhisit's premiership a "genuine PAD victory" and a "Anupong-style coup d'etat." The circumstances of his ascent to power closely linked Abhisit to the Bangkok elite, the Army, and the Royal Palace.AsiaNews.IT
Abhisit Vejjajiva is the new prime minister of Thailand
15 December 2008

Economic effects

As the crisis is ongoing and fluid, the final economic consequences of the crisis are as yet unclear. After a state of emergency was declared on 2 September 2008, the SET Index reached its lowest point since January 2007 at 655.62; it had fallen 24.7% since the beginning of the PAD's demonstrations in May 2008. The

baht The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...

hit a one-year low of 34.52 per US dollar, prompting the

Bank of Thailand The Bank of Thailand (BOT; Abbreviation, abbr. ธปท.; , ) is the central bank of Thailand. History The Bank of Thailand (BOT) was first set up as the Thai National Banking Bureau. The Bank of Thailand Act was promulgated on 28 April 1942 ...

to intervene. The PAD seizure of Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi Airports is estimated to have cost the Thai economy at least three billion Baht (approximately US$100 million) a day in lost shipment value and opportunities. As of 1 December 2008, the number of stranded passengers was estimated at anywhere from over 100,000 to 350,000.

Political effects

The long term political consequences of the crisis are as yet unclear. The crisis, and particularly the siege of Suvarnabhumi Airport, saw a rise in international press coverage on Thailand, with numerous high-profile articles breaking Thai taboos about public discussion of the role of the monarchy in the crisis as well as the succession. There was a decline in the popularity of the PAD among the Bangkok elite as the crisis escalated and increasingly affected the economy. The crisis saw increasing polarization in Thai political thinking, with David Streckfuss of the Council on International Educational Exchange noting that it "shattered the myth of unity that has been papered over the many social and political cleavages in Thailand." The judiciary was increasingly seen as a tool of the elite, having flagged the government for even the tiniest infractions while refusing to rein in the growing violence of the PAD.

Notes

References

* * *AFP
Thai ruling party leaders back Somchai for PM
*AFP
Thai police arrest second anti-govt protest leader
*AFP
Thai PM turns to parliament to defuse protest siege
30 August 2008 *The Age, "Thai PM jumps fence to flee protesters" *AP
Strike by Thai anti-government forces falls flat
3 September 2008 *AP
ap.google.com, Thai leader forced to resign over TV cooking show
*AP
Thai ruling party re-nominates leader as PM
*AP
Thai deputy prime minister resigns
* *Bangkok Post
Electric shocks, sparks, drainage lids deter police
30 August 2008 *Bangkok Post
Airports still shut, trains not running
*Bangkok Post
Coalition parties to hold meeting this evening
*Bangkok Post
Somchai, Sompong are candidates for PM
*Bangkok Post
Parliament confirms Somchai
*Bangkok Post
Wife of Chamlong visits him after arrest
*Samak and Anupong Sitting in a Tree.... (2008, 3 September). Bangkok Post. nline Available
http://bangkokpundit.blogspot.com/2008/02/samak-and-anupong-sitting-in-tree.html
Retrieved 3 September 2008. * *BBC
Thai coalition looks for new PM
*BBC
Samak out of Thai leadership race
*BBC
Thai party names nominee for PM
*BBC News. (13 October 2008)
"Thailand's queen mourns protester"
Retrieved 13 October 2008. *Bloomberg
Thai deputy prime minister resigns
*Bloomberg
Thailand Postpones Premier Vote After Samak Boycott (Update2)
*CNN
Thai ruling party nominates Samak for PM
*CNN
Thai judges issue warrants to arrest protesters
27 August 2008 *Constitutional Court, คำวินิจฉัยศาลรัฐธรรมนูญที่ 12-13/2551. ��อนไลน์ เข้าถึงได้จาก
https://web.archive.org/web/20080913051049/http://www.concourt.or.th/download/Center_desic/51/center12-13_51.pdf
(เข้าถึงเมื่อ: 12 กันยายน 2551). *Declaration of the State of Emergency within the areas of Bangkok Metropolis (2008, 2 September). Government Gazette of Thailand (vol 125, pt 144 D, special issue), p. 1. *''Financial Times''

*Krungthep Business. (2551, 13 ตุลาคม). ''พระราชินีรับสั่งน้องโบว์เป็นเด็กดี 'ช่วยชาติ-รักษาสถาบัน'.'' ��อนไลน์ เ้ข้าถึงได้จาก: < http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/2008/10/13/news_302910.php >. (เข้าถึงเมื่อ: 13 ตุลาคม 2551). *Reuters. (13 October 2008). ''Thai queen weighs in with anti-govt protesters.'' nline Available:

>. (Retrieved 13 October 2008). * *''The Guardian''
Bangkok protesters hurt in anti-government clashes
* *''The Irrawaddy''
PAD Protesters, Police in Tense Standoff
27 August 2008 *''The Nation''
Treason versus Civil Disobedience
28 August 2008 *''The Nation''
Tolerance winning the day at Government House – for now
29 August 2008 *''The Nation''
Somchai elected new prime minister
*The Nation. (2008, 14 October). ''Queen attends slain protester's cremation.'' nline Available: < https://web.archive.org/web/20090417165658/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/10/14/politics/politics_30085986.php >. (Retrieved 14 October 2008). *''The New York Times''
Police Arrest Leader of Thai Protests
*''The New York Times''

*''People's Daily''

*Reuters
6-Thai deputy PM quits after Bangkok clashes
*Thai foreign minister quits as Bangkok protests drag on. (2008, 3 September). Reuters. nline Available
https://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSBKK12612220080903
Retrieved 3 September 2008. *Reuters
Thai ruling party picks Thaksin in-law for PM
*Reuters
Thai ruling coalition begins search for new PM
* * * *''The Star''
Thai-style democracy
30 August 2008 *''The Star''
Thailand democracy at risk
3 September 2008 *''The Straits Times''

31 August 2008 *Thai Rath, "ข่าวลือสะพัด'เตช'ลาออก หนักใจตอบต่างประเทศ". (2551, 3 กันยายน). ไทยรัฐ. ��อนไลน์ เข้าถึงได้จาก
https://web.archive.org/web/20080915033838/http://www.thairath.co.th/online.php?section=newsthairathonline&content=102915
(เข้าถึงเมื่อ: 3 กันยายน 2551). *Thai Rath, "อนุพงษ์ชี้'ฉุกเฉิน' แค่ยุตินองเลือด ปัดภารกิจยึดทำเนียบคืน". (2551, 3 กันยายน). ไทยรัฐ. ��อนไลน์ เข้าถึงได้จาก
https://web.archive.org/web/20080903083741/http://www.thairath.co.th/offline.php?section=hotnews&content=102834
(เข้าถึงเมื่อ: 3 กันยายน 2551). *The Order of the Prime Minister No. 195/2551 Re: Appointment of the Competent Authorities for Remedy of the State of Emergency, dated 2 September 2008. (2008, 2 September). Government Gazette of Thailand, (vol 125, pt 144 D, special issue). pp. 3. *UPI
upi.com, Bangkok state of emergency lifted
*''Wall Street Journal''
Thai Police Arrest Another Leader Of Protest as Crackdown Continues
* * *''Washington Post''

*Xinhua

*Yahoo! News. (13 October 2008). ''Thai queen attends funeral for anti-government protester.'' nline Available: < https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081013/wl_asia_afp/thailandpoliticsprotestfuneral >. (Retrieved 13 October 2008).

External links

A list of 63 websites censored by the Abhisit government during the Songkran 2009 unrestIn depth – Thailand – Political turmoil in the streets of Bangkok
CBC News, 14 May 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:2008 Thai Political Crisis 2008 in Thai politics 2008 in Thailand Political Protests Thai Riots and civil disorder in Thailand 2008 riots Protests in Thailand Rebellions in Thailand Thai Attacks on government buildings and structures in Asia Attacks on airports in Asia 2000s political riots Political history of Thailand Political career of Thaksin Shinawatra Attacks on buildings and structures in 2008 Attacks on buildings and structures in Thailand