bangkok

Thai Protesters to Target Bangkok’s Main Roads, Risking Clash

March 11 (Bloomberg) — Thai anti-government protesters plan to march on major roads in Bangkok tomorrow, risking a confrontation with security forces charged with preventing them from paralyzing traffic.

Members of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship intends to march on main traffic arteries, said Weng Tojirakarn, a protest leader. The group plans to gather at five locations in Bangkok at noon tomorrow and assemble 1 million people to pressure Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to call an election.

Violent protests that began with plans similar to tomorrow’s have depressed stocks and hurt consumer confidence since the military ousted fugitive ex-leader Thaksin Shinawatra In 2006. His supporters say appointed judges, soldiers and bureaucrats have undermined the wishes of voters.

“We know they will send a lot of troops,” Weng, whose group supports Thaksin, said by phone today. “We will come without arms and we are sure to open the door.”

Authorities cannot allow protesters to form “chokepoints” that affect airports, seaports and communications systems, government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told reporters yesterday. The Bangkok metropolitan area is “very critical,” he said.

Handling Protests

Abhisit, who won a parliamentary vote in December 2008 after a court disbanded the ruling pro-Thaksin party, said yesterday he is ready to handle the protests and won’t agree to their demands for a fresh election. The Cabinet invoked the Internal Security Act for the sixth time in the past year, allowing the military to close roads and make arrests.

The government has prepared 35,000 security officers and another 46,000 civilian defense volunteers to control protesters and maintain order. In April, the military cracked down on a similar UDD demonstration that led to rioting.

Consumer confidence fell in February for the first time in four months on concern political tensions may derail the nation’s economic recovery, a report today showed. The Bank of Thailand kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a five- year low of 1.25 percent yesterday.

Thailand’s SET index has lagged behind indices in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines since the coup as the power struggle among Thaksin’s supporters and opponents has led to airport blockades, rioting and bombings. Thai stocks trade at 11 times 2010 earnings, the third-cheapest in Asia after South Korea and Pakistan, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Thaksin and his allies have won the past four elections on support from the northeast, Thailand’s poorest region and home to a third of its 66 million people. Courts have disbanded the pro-Thaksin parties that won the past two elections, prompting his supporters to question the judicial system.

Abhisit’s Democrat party hasn’t won the most seats in an election since 1992. He must call an election by the end of next year.