Rival rallies held in Thailand

Rival rallies were staged here today with tens of thousands of pro and anti-government protesters flooding the streets in the most serious confrontation in Thailand since the 2010 bloody protests.
At least 100,000 opponents of Yingluck Shinawatra converged on the streets of Bangkok on a call given by the Opposition to topple the government, even as the police feared violence.
A massive security net was cast over the Thai capital as former opposition Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday gave a call to "root out the Thaksin regime".
The Ratchdamnoen Avenue, where the Democracy Monument is located, was packed with anti-government demonstrators.

Pro-government supporters, known as "Red Shirts", also gathered in huge numbers, raising a possibility of clashes between the two groups, the most serious confrontation since the bloody protests in 2010.
At the Democracy Monument protest site, Suthep ushered a group of academics, representatives of labour unions from state enterprises, business community members, political activists among others to stage in front of thousands of cheering protesters.

Air travellers have been warned to expect heavy road traffic and a lack of taxis resulting from the political protests.
Piya Uthayo, spokesperson for the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order, however, said that there may be attempts to spark violence between the two groups of protesters.

Thailand has witnessed instances of sporadic unrest since former premier Thaksin Shinawatra -- brother of current premier Yingluck -- was deposed in a military coup seven years ago.
The Thai capital has already been hit by opposition- backed protests in the past few weeks following a controversial amnesty bill that could have paved the way of Thaksin returning from his self-imposed exile.
The bill, which would also absolve those responsible for military crackdown on Red Shirt movement in 2010, was passed by the lower house but rejected by the upper house.
However, protests have not disappeared as the anti- government supporters now want to boot out the government. But government-supporting "Red Shirts" have vowed to bolster Yingluck's embattled administration.

Thailand has seen 18 actual or attempted coups since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932.
Though Thakin is supported by the rural and urban working class, he is not liked by the elite and middle class.