Anti-Thaksin protesters paralyse Bangkok's shopping district

THAILAND: Thousands of protesters Sunday flooded the streets and surrounded shopping centers in Bangkok's ritzy downtown following an overnight rally pressing for Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to quit, one week ahead of trouble-plagued elections.

Chants of "Thaksin, get out" erupted from crowds rallying around the gleaming Siam Paragon, Bangkok's largest shopping mall where protest leaders vowed another demonstration would take place later in the week.

"This is the last polite request for Thaksin to resign," said Thai media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul, a former ally of the premier who has emerged as a key anti-Thaksin leader.

Nearby protesters passed out flyers saying "Nero fiddled while Rome burns, Thaksin shops while Thailand burns", as curious onlookers crowded onto footbridges.

Amid the sea of waving flags and yellow headbands that have come to symbolise the anti-Thaksin movement, shoppers trying to get into the Paragon's padlocked doors were shuttled into the carpark's rear entrance by wary security guards.

Thaksin has been battling weeks of demonstrations calling for him to resign since his family pocketed almost two billion dollars in a tax-free sale of its Shin Corp stock to Temasak.

National police spokesman Ajirawid Subarnbhesaj said Sunday 1,300 police were posted along Sukhumvit Road, warning that the rally could snarl traffic along the busy thoroughfare.

BANGKOK, Sunday AFP