Armoured personnel carriers demolished tyre and bamboo barricades around the Ratchaprasong rally site while clashes between protestors and troops continue to wage around the capital.

At least four people, including an Italian journalist, died in todays operation whole more than  50 suffered serious injuries.

A spokesman for the Thai government said the operation to secure Lumpini Park area was successful and that buses have been prepared at the Pathumwan intersection for protesters wanting to return home.

Soon after red shirt demonstrators threw burning tires into riverside municipal offices in Chiang Mai, setting the building ablaze. Two military trucks rushed to the scene and gunfire has recently been heard.

Protestors hurled rocks at passing security vehicles and a smashed up police boxes with whatever weapons they could find.

An observer told 1stop exclusively: “There’s a big fire at the east end of Nawarat Bridge where red shirts seem to have made a barricade with tires and benches.

“The police seem to have gotten in and dispersed everything but they will still not allow cars into the area.

“There are still a lot of fires burning which security officers are rolling into the river to put out. There’s a school just nearby where the kids have been locked in to keep them safe.

“Black smoke is still billowing from the barracade and two fire trucks look like they were attacked there with their front windows smashed.”

Graffiti saying ‘S**t abhisit kill people’, ‘UN help please’ has been drawn on the side of Narawat Bridge.

The trouble in the red shirt stronghold of Chiang Mai is thought to have been in retaliation for the military action in Bangkok.

The conflict has had a dire effect on the Thai tourism industry with thousands of holidays to Bangkok cancelled and many of the region’s hotels empty.

Thaksin-supporting red shirts want a ballot before the current leader of the Thai military steps down to ensure a sympathetic figure is installed in his place.

The former Manchester City FC chairman has been on the run since he was ousted in a military coup and faces corruption charges should he return to Thailand.

Click here for the latest security advice.

Plans to enforce a curfew have been postponed although all government offices and schools remain shut as tourists and the general populace were warned not to venture onto the streets.

Clashes spread to Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani yesterday, which are both United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) strongholds within Thailand.

The decision to prevent the reopening of schools and the making of today and tomorrow government holidays was unavoidable because the pitch battles engulfing the capital, according to the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situations.

The centre is also putting pressure on UDD finances by banning transactions of 106 firms and individuals including military personnel seen as affiliated to the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School class of ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday that removing demonstrators from their Ratchaprasong rally site was the only way to save lives.

But red shirt leaders asked for UN-led negotiations to put an end to what they refer to as “civil war”.

But a government spokesman said the time for talking was over and insisted the crackdown would continue.

The reconciliation roadmap of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva offering elections on November 14 now lies in tatters as demonstrators refuse to go home despite their leaders initially agreeing to the proposal.

The conflict has had a dire effect on the Thai tourism industry with thousands of holidays to Bangkok cancelled and many of the region’s hotels empty.

Thaksin-supporting red shirts want a ballot before the current leader of the Thai military steps down to ensure a sympathetic figure is installed in his place.

The former Manchester City FC chairman has been on the run since he was ousted in a military coup and faces corruption charges should he return to Thailand.

Click here for the latest security advice.

The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) originally agreed to the PM’s proposal for November 14 elections, but still will not tell their supporters to go home.

Now the embattled premier has demanded confirmation today whether the two sides have in fact reached an agreement, or else his reconciliation proposal will be scrapped.

Key red shirt leaders Natthawut Saikua, Veera Musikhapon and Chatuporn Prompan cancelled a press conference yesterday and held an urgent meeting to respond to Abhisit’s fresh demands.

The UDD have been given until today to provide the exact timeframe for its rallies to end and so release paralysed sections of Bangkok.

The government believes red shirt supreme leader and former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is blocking efforts to end the political rifts that has seen 50 foreign nations advise against travel to the Kingdom and seen tourist figures plummet.

The red shirts agreed in principle to accept the reconciliation process unveiled by Abhisit last Monday, but refuse to say when demonstrators will be told to stop occupying the business and shopping district in Ratchaprasong.

Grenade attacks and shooting in the capital were reported this weekend, which could have destabilised talks.

The conflict has had a dire effect on the Thai tourism industry with thousands of holidays to Bangkok cancelled and many of the region’s hotels empty.

The UDD had demanded PM Abhisit Vejjajiva call snap elections to allow fugitive politician Thaksin Shinawatra to return to power, but now seem satisfied with the November date.

Thaksin-supporting red shirts want a ballot before the current leader of the Thai military steps down to ensure a sympathetic figure is installed in his place.

The former Manchester City FC chairman has been on the run since he was ousted in a military coup and faces corruption charges should he return to Thailand.

Click here for the latest security advice.

The upgraded advice will be a dagger blow to the already wailing Thai tourism industry which has seen a sharp downturn in bookings since the start of the troubles.

Recent demonstrations in Chiang Mai and violent protests in the centre of Bangkok are said to behind the upgraded security directives.

A statement from the US government said: ““Political demonstrations by the UDD are expected to continue in Bangkok indefinitely. As a result, traffic congestion and difficulty of movement is possible throughout Bangkok, and traffic patterns may change unexpectedly as demonstrators block roads.

“Other forms of transportation, such as the BTS Skytrain, may close unexpectedly in response to threats or incidents, such as occurred on April 27, when protesters jumped onto the tracks and tried to block the tracks with tyres.”

In response a whopping 1.6billion baht has been allocated to restore Thailand’s battered tourism industry once the current political crisis ends.

The Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced the spending plan which is liable to have major benefits for the whole of Thailand .

The scheme includes 600million baht to restore domestic tourism with the remainder allocated for foreign markets with the scheme kicking off as early as June.

Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa said: “The number of visitors is likely to rebound in the third quarter should we be able to implement the stimulus plan within the second quarter.”

Foreign arrivals at Bangkok Airport only average 21,000 per day currently, a drop of almost one-third from last year.

The Kingdom’s tourism industry has remained slumped after grenade attacks at Silom in central Bangkok which killed four people and left 80 people injured.

Many foreign governments, including the British, Australian and Canadian embassies, have warned their citizens against travelling to the Thai capital in wake of the protests.

In the most recent violence, there were hots fired between red shirt protestors and security forces outside Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport.

The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) have demanded PM Abhisit Vejjajiva call snap elections to allow fugitive politician Thaksin Shinawatra to return to power.

The former Manchester City FC chairman has been on the run since he was ousted in a military coup and faces corruption charges should he return to Thailand.

Click here for the latest security advice.

Vesak Day, or Visakha Bucha, takes place between May 22 and 28 and is the most important Buddhist festival in Thailand.

Followers head to temples at this time every year to hear sermons from monks and take part in some of the processions being organised.

Buddhists will also offer donations and prayers at the many shrines and temples around the country.

Holidaymakers cannot not fail to notice the streams of people making their way to the religious buildings.

One of the festival’s highlights are the candlelit parades which often take place around Thailand’s temples.

The celebrations are always timed to coincide with the full moon and therefore the date of Buddha’s birthday varies from year to year.

Tourists staying on Koh Samui will find the biggest events likely to be centred around Wat Phra Yai, which is home to one of the island’s most famous landmarks – Big Buddha.

This golden statue of the deity stands at 12m in height and is an especially impressive sight when lit up in the evening.

Terminals in Bangkok will be open as normal but security will be stepped up in a bid to avoid another siege of the buildings as in November 2008, transport permanent secretary Supoth Sublom revealed yesterday.

All major transport hubs will be tightly manned and alternative transport routes have been arranged should red shirt protestors attempt to disrupt travel, he added.

Public buses have been told to avoid major rally locations to keep passengers safe and avoid vandalism to buses, and 50,000 government troops have been placed on standby to keep the peace.

Tourists using Suvarnabhumi Airport have been told to leave extra time for reaching the building and arrive at the terminal at least three hours before international flights.

Thai Airways announced it will temporarily close its Silom Road and Larnluang Road ticketing offices during the red shirt march.

Larnluang Road is nearby to Rajadamnoen Avenue where red shirts plan to gather this weekend, and it is thought the airline offices may be a target.

Thaksin-supporting red shirt protestors are marching on the capital in a bid to overthrow the government and restore the fugitive prime minister to his former post.

See this map of possible Bangkok trouble hotspots courtesy of The Nation.

Jetsun Pema, younger sibling of the exiled Tibetan leader, was turned down by the Thai government in case allowing her in the country enraged China.

The 69-year-old, who currently resides in India, was hoping to speak at a three-day cultural show in the capital which starts on Friday. She was due to discuss spiritual education for Buddhist exiles.

Foreign ministry spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut told reporters that her visa application was rejected by Thailand’s New Delhi Embassy as they “did not want to get involved in international politics”.

China has been highly critical of any nation which overtly exhibits any diplomatic ties with the Dalai Lama and even fiercely condemned US President Barak Obama for meeting him last month.

The Dalai Lama fled his Tibetian homeland in 1959 and currently resides in Mcleod Ganj in the Indian Himalayas. He speaks out for greater autonomy for Tibet but is dismissed by Bejing as a dissident separatist.

China currently invests large sums in Thailand’s industrial and agricultural sectors.

The new route will be served by a modern fleet of Saab 340 33 seater prop-jets that the company believes are perfect for connecting northern Thailand with the northeast of the Kingdom.

Director Chalermsak Suranant of the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Chiang Mai said the city has now become an outstanding and famous tourist destination in the north while also being a hub for commerce and investment.

He also pointed out the added convenience and efficiency of bringing the two regions together while coping with the increasing demand of travel and the economy.

President of Nok Mini, Dr Jain Charnnarong, said the courier’s plans to increase routes to other cities will also benefit travellers who choose Chiang Mai as a hub for convenience, without the hassle of transferring in Bangkok. 

He pointed out that the launch of the new route proves as a strong prospect for both holidaymakers and business travels to merge the Northeast and the North together.

Complaints from tourists led to Phuket International Airport Director Prathueng Sornkham announcing the crackdown earlier this week.Complaints from tourists ranged from harassment to being coerced to go on impromptu shopping trips, where they are forced to buy things they do not want.

Airport Director Prathueng Sornkham has said the crackdown will continue, with the police keeping a close eye on taxi drivers seen as annoying or harassing tourists.

The Nation quotes the airport director as saying: “We need to restore our good image among tourists…From the information we have, we think there are now about 200 illegal taxis operating here and we hope to solve this problem soon.”

Airport officials and other staff were given advance warning of the crackdown, so that the process was smooth and seamless. Tourists however, had not been warned, and many had to wait for around half an hour or more to find taxi rides to their respective destinations around the island.

The ‘black plate taxis’ which were the focus of the crackdown have been operating surreptitiously out of the airport without authorization for many years now. Legally, every taxi that picks up a fare from the Phuket International Airport must pay AoT (Airports Authority of Thailand) the requisite fees.

Transport Ministry officers and Phuket Airport security staff interrogate a driver attempting to leave through the exit gate at Phuket Airport this morning.

The survey found that Thailand is a popular sailing destination with international sailors, with many returning numerous times to enjoy the cruising grounds and sailing events Thailand has to offer Fifty-six percent of those surveyed said that the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is their favourite regatta in Asia while 71% said that Thailand, with the main sailing areas being Phuket, Pattaya and Samui, is the best sailing venue in Asia due to an ideal geography, good weather conditions and beautiful scenery.

Thirty-one percent of the people surveyed were sailors who have been sailing in Asia for more than 10 years, with 27% newcomers (having sailed in Asia for only 1-3 years) and 15% having sailed in Asia for 4-6 years.

Asia has long been a popular sailing region with residents and expatriates. This was reinforced recently with the confirmation of an Asian series of the popular European Extreme 40 Sailing Series. More recently, there has been confirmation of Hong Kong being part of the Louis Vuitton Series in 2010. Such events bring the world’s attention on Asia as a leading sailing destination.

Mr. William Gasson, President of the Top of The Gulf Regatta, said, “Apart of organizing a good regatta, we have to understand the sailors and find out sailing trends, to help promote all sailing events in Thailand and expand the sailing network throughout the country and beyond.”

The recent survey showed that the majority of participants spent approximately 40,000THB on accommodation, food and drink during their time at the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, and that over 30% spent in the region of 150,000THB per person. Based on the survey results, it was found that Regatta participants spent over 40 million baht in the local economy during the Regatta week. These figures do not include expenditure associated with hosting the event, corporate hospitality, travel by participants, charter revenues and more. All of this is as a direct result of hosting the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.

The Top of The Gulf Regatta is one of the major sailing events in Thailand. The Regatta is hosted by and held at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club on April 30 – May 4, 2010. The event is the only Marina-based regatta in Thailand and attracts over 200 different boats in different classes from optimists to bigger keel boats. For more information, visit www.topofthegulfregatta.com