Thailand's Caretaker PM calls on peaceful rallies by protesters

BANGKOK, January 9 (TNA) - Thailand's Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has called on anti-government protesters to rally peacefully on January 13, when they plan to "shut down Bangkok" to pressure for the ouster of the caretaker government and a domestic political reform prior to the new general election, now set on February 2, 2014. Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Yingluck, who is also Caretaker Defence Minister, also called for the anti-government protesters not to damage state and private property, or intrude into government offices. Yingluck acknowledged that she is worried over a possible third-hand party during the claimed “Bangkok shutdown” by protesters of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), expressing her hope that no violence would occur. To invite people to join their "Bangkok shutdown" next Monday, the PDRC protesters, led by Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister of Thailand's Democrat Party, left their rally site at the Democracy Monument on Rajadamnoen Avenue in the capital, again, early Thursday and marched across the Chao Phraya River to persuade people in the Thon Buri side. The PDRC protesters are expected to be back at the Democracy Monument on Thursday evening. Part of people in provincial areas, especially those in the Thai South, have also planned to stage rallies next Monday, causing worries over the possible shortage of consumption goods and prompting several grocery stores to have ordered more goods to cope with the expected rising demand. Meanwhile, operators of Bangkok's subway, skytrain and Airport Link transport services have all announced to extend their services next Monday, when the number of passengers using the mass rail transport services is expected to surge to over 300,000, from more than 200,000 a day normally. The daily service closing time of all the three mass rail transport service operators, which is normally at midnight, is also expected to be specially extended to 2am. Besides, soldiers have been asked to help provide safety to passengers at stations near rally sites next Monday.(TNA)