Offices in preparation for "Bangkok shutdown" by protesters

BANGKOK, January 6 (TNA) - Thailand's government and private offices have prepared for “Bangkok shutdown”, threatened by the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), from January 13, 2014 onwards by spreading its mass rallies across the capital to pressure for the caretaker government to resign. The Ministry of Education has ordered concerned departments to conduct their surveys on impacts on schools located near 20 sites where the PDRC protesters have planned to set up stages next Monday and to report their findings to Caretaker Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang by January 9 for further consideration whether an order for a temporary closure should be issued for affected schools. The Ministry of Transport has, in the meantime, prepared public transport services and parking areas to accommodate people who have difficulty commuting in the capital, the number of which is expected to reach as high as one million on the day. For the private sector, the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking also discussed, at its meeting on Monday, impacts on local businesses, caused by the planned "Bangkok shutdown", with paralyzed traffic expected, and measures to cope with the situation. Payungsak Chartsutipol, Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), projected that Thailand's economic growth should stay only 3.5-4 per cent this year, compared with about 5 per cent of neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines has cut its flights to Bangkok due to ongoing political protests, resulting in a drop in passengers to the Thai capital, particularly Chinese travelers. Speaking to reporters of the situation, noting that the cabin factor of Bangkok flights of Singapore Airlines has dropped to 40-60 per cent, Raveewan Netarakawesana, Director of Thailand's main Suvarnabhumi International Airport, suggested as well that passengers arrive at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport about four hours ahead of scheduled departures of their flights on January 13 and public transport service providers prepare measures to cope with a possible incident in which passengers cannot enter or exit the airport on the day.(TNA)