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Unarmed policemen and army troops were deployed in the compound of the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand in the heart of the capital city on Tuesday to keep out anti-government protesters.
Acting Transport Minister Chatchart Sithipun said the police and soldiers had been readied to protect all property at Aeronautical Radio of Thailand which controls air traffic over Thai airspace. An estimated 2,000 international and domestic flights depend daily on the aeronautical agency, located in Thung Mahamek area.
The police and army troops guarding all government premises including the Aeronautical Radio are unarmed since Acting Premier Yingluck Shinawatra decided to never use force against the protesters who have pressed for her caretaker government to step down for the last few months.
Leaders of the street protesters, who launched a "Bangkok shutdown" on Monday, said they planned to lay siege around the agency on Tuesday to disrupt operations of its officials. They did not say if the protesters might possibly invade and occupy the agency.
Chatchart said such sabotages would result in grave consequences and jeopardize the safety of international and domestic airliners and their passengers.
"Any shutdown of the Aeronautical Radio would be practically tantamount to a shutdown of an airport. The protesters are strongly suggested to never do such a thing," he said.
Airliners could not land, take off or pass over Thai airspace without the controls of the Aeronautical Radio, according to the acting transport minister.
The protesters, headed by former Deputy Premier Suthep Thaugsuban and former Democrat Party lawmakers, laid siege around varied government premises in bid to obstruct personnel from working normally. Suthep said the "Bangkok shutdown" might probably last until the Feb.2 election to which the protesters are strongly opposed.
The Democrat Party has boycotted the nationwide polls pushed by its archrival, Pheu Thai (for Thais) Party which is core of the caretaker government.
They are currently occupying several major intersections in the heart of the capital, denying all road traffic since Monday. Those protester-occupied areas include Patumwan, Rajprasong, Asoak, Saladaeng, Samyan, Lad Prao, Victory Monument and Chaeng Wattana.
