Anything & Everything About Thailand

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 31 March 2006 :-

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE : Firm reaches new heights

Echo Stone, a leading Thai producer of climbing walls for bouldering, has been promoting the sport locally over the past two years by organising the Thailand Bouldering Competition. This year, the competition is scheduled for May 18-21 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.

Tanate Kittipornpanit, the general manager of Echo Stone, said hosting the competition was not a profitable activity for his company, which claims to be the only builder of standard climbing walls in Thailand.

He said the company aimed to introduce bouldering to the Thai public, while also increasing its customer base.

Echo is holding the competition in partnership with NCC Exhibition Organizer Co (NEO).

Mr Tanate said the competition was based on regulations set by a recognised international climbing competition body.

The Thailand Bouldering Competition 2006 will be part of Thailand Travel & Dive Expo and Thailand Outdoor Adventure 2006, which will run for the same period.

According to Mr Tanate, last year the competition was popular among both Thai and international climbers.

This year, climbers from neighbouring countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Hong Kong will account for about 40% of competition participants.

The application fee would be 350 baht before April 30, and 500 baht for those applying later, said Mr Tanate.

According to Mr Tanate, the market for bouldering equipment was still very small in Thailand, as the number of Thai climbers who were serious about bouldering was still less than 300.

The market is growing rapidly, however, as Echo's turnover is growing by about 20% annually.

Besides Echo, there are only three other companies in Thailand that distributed imported bouldering equipment, Mr Tanate said.

He said that 70% of Echo's sales were generated by domestic customers and the rest by customers in Malaysia and Singapore.

Prices of climbing walls range from 30,000 to six million baht. Most of his customers were hotels and resorts in mountainous tourist destinations, and government agencies promoting outdoor sports, said Mr Tanate.

Bussaya Prakobthong, group project manager of NEO, an affiliate of the operator of Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, said the Thailand Bouldering Competition 2006 would cost about 1.3 million baht.

She expected up to 100,000 people to visit the forthcoming Thailand Travel & Dive Expo and Thailand Outdoor Adventure 2006, and that the entire event would generate business deals worth up to 200 million baht.

[U-Need]

BANGKOK, March 31 (TNA) – Bank of Thailand’s Governor M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula on Thursday expressed confidence economic figures in February would remain favorable although many indicators released by the Finance Ministry slowed to a certain extent.



He said the central bank was still optimistic about the figures to be released on Friday because exports had grown satisfactorily.



The interest hike had not put a brake on the economic growth because it had not increased considerably.



He said the decision by the United States Federal Reserve to raise a key interest rate to 4.75 per cent had not pressed the BOT’s Monetary Policy Committee to raise the policy interest rate accordingly.



On a possible examination of the money movement on the eve of the election, he said, the Election Commission had normally sought cooperation from BOT in the matter.



However, the EC failed to submit a written request for the examination with the central bank for this election perhaps because there is only one major political party fielding candidates for the poll, he said. (TNA) – E005

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 31 March 2006 :-

Business light as 'Siam' malls reopen

Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery and Siam Centre reopened yesterday in a lacklustre mood after the departure of the huge crowds demanding the resignation of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Only a few shops in the giant shopping centres resumed business and the number of shoppers seen walking in and out was small.

On Wednesday, the three up-market complexes closed to avoid a mass anti-Thaksin rally called by the People's Alliance for Democracy. But the demonstrators ended their protest yesterday, ahead of Sunday's snap election, and business cautiously began returning to normal.

Siam Paragon department store opened its doors, but not all shops in the plaza area were trading. Jewellery shops noticeably remained closed, apparently reflecting their security-consciousness.

A security guard at Siam Paragon said: "I am not sure if the protesters will come back. I just hope that they won't come back soon." He said that even though the complexes were closed on Wednesday, he had to stand by to protect the area.

A 17-year-old girl who entered Siam Paragon to see a movie said she realised the complex had reopened while attending a cramming school across the road.

"I am not afraid of the mob, even though they may come back again," she said. "They don't want to cause any damage to anyone."

A few clients visited the Kinokuniya book shop and California Fitness at Siam Paragon at about 1.30am yesterday because they were not sure it would reopen in normal trading hours.

Some food shops remained open on Wednesday night even though the majority of shops at Siam Square decided to avoid the rally. Protesters with anti-Thaksin banners crowded Coca Suki, Canton and KFC.

While the malls lost money from their one-day closure, Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) reaped a record windfall from the rally.

On Wednesday, the Skytrain operator took Bt11.5 million in revenue, carrying a record number of 546,597 commuters. Half of them were headed for Siam station.

According to Anat Arbhabhirama, an adviser to the BTS board of directors, the number beat the previous record of 537,328 passengers carried on December 9, when Siam Paragon opened.

"This is a new record for the company, which has been operating for six years and three months," he said. On Wednesday, BTS also sold tickets outside Siam station for the first time, because of the large number of passengers.

The station was closed yesterday because of the massive crowds.

Anat said that on a regular weekday, BTS usually served about 430,000 passengers.


Nitida Aswanipont & Somluck Srimalee
The Nation

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 31 March 2006 :-

Marketers, retailers facing more sophisticated buyers

A rapidly changing retail landscape and a shifting consumer profile are among the major emerging challenges for today's marketers and retailers, says global retail-research agency ACNielsen.

Alastair Gordon, the agency's global managing director for customised products and services, said consumers these days entered a store with many predispositions, which could be divided into personal demographics, relationships, culture, economy, social class and lifestyle.

Consumers have more information and choices at their disposal but in a way tend to care less about what is on offer. As a result, they are on auto-pilot, because of a cluttered mind space, evolving "omega rules" for deciding, and they tend to go for habitual brand buying. Most brands therefore remain in a static position.

Gordon told the World Marketing Conference - held earlier this week by the Marketing Association of Thailand - that purchase triggers differed markedly from brand to brand. Therefore, different brands attract different kinds of shoppers.

There are generally primary and secondary rules involving product performance, price and value, as well as aesthetic preference. These have implications on store layout, packaging and sampling - the "moment of truth in-store", as he put it.

Gordon gave the case study of shampoo purchasing in New Zealand, where 76 per cent of store customers planned to make a purchase and actually did so (so-called "converted buyers"), 13 per cent did not plan to buy but ended up doing so ("impulse buyers"), and 11 per cent planned to purchase but ended up not doing so ("lost sales").

He said that for shampoo brand choices, 46 per cent could be categorised as habitual, while the other 54 per cent were experimental - of which 37 per cent were activated in-store and 17 per cent pre-store.

Gordon said ACNielsen DeltaQual had identified factors influencing buying decisions at point-of-purchase. These comprise those within retail control, such as on-shelf stocks, promotions, product placement, packaging, aisle traffic and those beyond retail control, such as the timing of shopping, type of shop preferred, who the shopper is with, the buyer's hair condition and the shopper's mood.

For this, buyers are segmented into those who are choosy, variety seekers, stable and price conscious. Each segment has its own distinctive habits.

What consumers notice at the point of sale is important, because this affects their buying habits. Response to out-of-stock products and the reaction to promotions also vary in accordance with buyer segment.

The case study found that most shoppers are at the shampoo section for about a minute, with many taking 20 seconds or less to make a choice. However, quite a lot is going on in their heads in that relatively short time.

Key factors take centre stage, as consumers want to simplify their decision-making. Packaging design and the ability of a product to stand out are both vital, and in-store promotion can also have a big influence on brand perceptions.

Gordon called it essential for marketers to understand the purchase triggers and how consumers make decisions about which brand to buy. He added that with all the information at their disposal, they could correct brand vulnerabilities and identify major marketing opportunities.


Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn
The Nation

[U-Need]

BANGKOK, March 31 (TNA) - The Meteorological Department forecasts the possibility of scattered thunderstorms during the next two days, influenced by a westerly trough covering the upper part of the country.

A tropical storm hit Bangkok Thursday night, causing heavy downpours, gusty winds and uprooted and fallen trees in the capital.

The northern, northeastern, eastern, and central regions face thunderstorms and hail in some areas Friday before the weather becomes better and returns to normal summer on Saturday, according to the department.

However, it warned people should beware of heavy winds and severe thunderstorms for the time being and avoid proximity to billboards, trees, and improperly built or poorly-designed structures which might be subject to failure during storms.

The weather department also advised farmers outside irrigation zones to grow drought-resistant plants with short life spans during the summer. (TNA)-E004

[U-Need]

BANGKOK, March 31 (TNA) – The overall Thai economy in February continued to expand satisfactorily, boosted by higher-than-expected exports, although the consumption and investment began to slow due to the current political crisis, according to the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO).

FPO’s Director-General Naris Chaiyasoot said on Thursday that tax revenue and consumption-related indicators for the whole year look favorable.

Given these factors, it is likely that the Thai economy this year will grow at an average of 5 per cent as earlier projected, while the country's current account balance will be in deficit of 2.1 per cent.

In February, he said, the income tax collection base expanded 11.8 per cent, down slightly from 13.3 per cent in January.

The tax collection on consumption grew 11.7 per cent, down from 15.8 per cent in January when there was a lot of spending in the New Year and Lunar New Year festivals.

The value-added tax collection expanded only 2.6 per cent, compared with 19.5 per cent in January.

“We concede the tax revenue from consumption has dropped because the political turbulence has affected the spending. At the same time, an investment indicator has also slowed. Still, exports have continued to expand satisfactorily. So, we think the Thai economy this year will be mainly driven by the exports,” he said.

Exports in February totaled US$5.52 billion, up 22.9 per cent from 13.6 per cent in January and imports totaled US$9.8 billion, up 19 per cent from 2 per cent of the previous month.

It resulted in a trade deficit of US$268 million, down from US$442 million in January.

He said imports surged sharply because investment for exports had expanded greatly, thanks to better-than-expected economic growth of trading partners.

As welll, the industrial index in January grew 5.8 per cent, compared with 6.3 per cent in the same month of the previous year since the local consumption, particularly in the construction, steel product and electrical appliance sectors, had slowed.

The overall production capacity utilization in January expanded 73.3 per cent, compared with 74.2 per cent in December last year. (TNA) – E005

[Jun|ch|]

Originally Posted by U-Need

BANGKOK, March 31 (TNA) – The overall Thai economy in February continued to expand satisfactorily, boosted by higher-than-expected exports, although the consumption and investment began to slow due to the current political crisis, according to the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO).

Thanks...

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

CULTURE / ARTIFACTS FOUND : Treasure-hunters flood Ayutthaya pagoda

Treasure-hunters flooded a deserted pagoda in the ancient city of Ayutthaya on rumours that contractors working on a construction site of an Islamic school had unearthed buried treasures. They went to the deserted Kang Kao temple which lies on the west bank of the Chao Phaya river opposite Ayutthaya island. The temple sits on a plot of land where a ponoh school is planned.

At the four-rai site, backhoes and tractors stand idle around the main pagoda, 6m high and 6m wide, after fine arts officials put a break on construction work pending a decision on the ancient ruins.

The pagoda stands on a square base with singha statues and 28 indentations, bearing holes large and small which are testament to the treasure-hunters' pursuit. The pagoda top has gone missing.

Among the new-found treasures are three enamel and earthenware artifacts which Suthat Komolpanit, 42, is set to hand over to the Fine Arts Department.

He ran into the artifacts while checking the site. He says that in good faith, he discarded the bones inside and cleaned them.

Many Buddhist and Muslim Thais have recovered earthenware and amulets from the spot, he said.

Project organiser Wichian Kanthasak, 44, said nearly 2,000 Muslim members of the Kodideeyah Ban Phom Association helped fund the construction. A ponoh school is to be erected on the plot of land, leased by his grandfather from the Department of Religious Affairs, he said.

Once land levelling work began and thick bushes were cleared, the pagoda came into view, drawing local people as well as state agencies. Mr Wichian maintained the school should be built as planned.

The Fine Arts Department will be allowed to step in to restore the pagoda which will be located in a garden at the back of the school building, he said.

Cancelling the project was certain to spark a furore among Muslim Thais, he added.

National treasure chief Payao Khemnak of the Ayutthaya fine arts office said the pagoda dates back over 500 years. It was built in the mid-Ayutthaya era style.

''Although the land belongs to the Department of Religious Affairs, any construction on the land that houses ancient ruins requires permission from the fine arts chief. The project is suspended, pending consultation among parties involved to find the best possible solution.''

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

Sondhi flies to China

Sondhi Limthongkul, a key leader of a hardline anti-Thaksin movement led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), flew to China last evening, without telling even his top political allies.

Rumours immediately started that he had fled because of a controversy over a story in Kom Chad Luek newspaper, which has sparked protests at Nation Tower against allegedly anti-monarchy sentiments. The newspaper story at issue quoted Mr Sondhi prominently.

Pipop Thongchai, a Sondhi ally in the People's Alliance for Democracy, denied that Mr Sondhi was seeking political asylum in China. Mr Pipop said he believes the Manager publisher will return to Thailand tonight.

Mr Sondhi faces a possible charge of lese majeste charge for his address before a mass rally of PAD-led demonstrators at Makhawan Bridge near Government House here on March 23. He left Bangkok last night around 8 p.m.

Before leaving, he told several friendly journalists that he wanted to have a rest and would return to Bangkok after 24 hours, via a Bangkok Airways flight.

Maj-Gen. Chamlong Srimuang, another PAD key leader, was among those taken by surprise, and said Mr Sondhi did not inform him of the trip.

The former Bangkok governor and political mentor of Mr. Thaksin said, however, that he believed Mr. Sondhi would return to Bangkok in time for the coalition's next mass rally planned at Royal Plaza on April 7.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

Pipop denies Sondhi plans to seek asylum in China

Pipop Thongchai, a decision maker of the People's Alliance for Democracy, denied Friday night that Sondhi Limthongkul, another PAD decision maker, had fled to China to seek an asylum there.

Rumours had it that Sondhi left the country Friday evening to escape lese majesty charges.

Pipop said he had checked with staff of Manager Daily and learnt that Sondhi left the county for China in the evening but he was not planning to seek an asylum there.

Pipop said Sondhi visited China to check his businesses there.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

Sondhi to return form China on Saturday: source

A source said Friday night that Sondhi Limthongkul, a decision maker of the People's Alliance for Democracy, would return to Thailand at 9:10 pm on Saturday, earlier than schedule for fear that PAD members would misunderstand that he had fled the country.

Rumours had it that Sondhi had fled the lese majesty charges from Thailand Friday evening and was planning to seek asylum in China.

Pipop Thongchai, a decision maker of the PAD, denied the rumours.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

Accusers out to incite hate, says Sondhi

Sondhi Limthongkul, a leader of the anti-government movement, yesterday said that the accusations of lese majeste against him were aimed at inciting public hatred similar to October 1976, which led to the mob lynching of several students at Thammasat University.


He said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra would be held responsible if such violence took place again. "I believe that people who can read through this will understand what's happening," Sondhi said.


He rejected the allegations of lese majeste at a press conference held at the Manager Media Group headquarters. His lawyer, Suwat Apaipakdi, said he believed the lese majeste charge was politically motivated, with the aim of inciting unrest.


Sondhi left for China yesterday evening for a "one-day break" after months of busy schedules, the Manager Online reported last night.


He denied a rumour that he had fled the country and said he would return tonight. Sondhi also was quoted as saying that he would definitely join an anti-government rally in Songkhla on Wednesday.


Sondhi and Suwat explained at the press conference that Sondhi's statement in question, which was reported incompletely in the Thai-language Kom Chad Luek newspaper last Friday, was aimed at attacking Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for possible evasion of responsibility about the Egat privatisation plan, which the Supreme Administrative Court recently ruled was not carried out according to the relevant laws.


Kom Chad Luek is a sister publication of The Nation.


Police yesterday received many separately complaints accusing Sondhi of lese majeste.


Maj-General Surasit Thaworn, a specialist attached to the Supreme Command, and eight other commissioned military officers filed a complaint with national police chief General Kowit Wattana accusing Sondhi of lese majeste. Later in the afternoon, a group of taxi motorcyclists filed a similar complaint with Kowit.


A group of veterans from Ratchaburi and Nakhon Si Thammarat filed the same complaint against Sondhi at the Crime Suppression Division. Similar police complaints were also filed by village heads and kamnan in Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi, Nong Bua Lamphu, Phrae, Nan and Sakon Nakhon.


Thaksin yesterday denied he had anything to do with the mob besieging the Nation Group office buildings on Thursday.


"Don't you think it's me who is the victim of harassment? You have been harassing me all the time, for many years. In fact I'm not harassing anyone. This matter involves a group of dissatisfied people," said Thaksin, when asked if the Nation Group was being subjected to harassment.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

Hoteliers reappoint Chanin

Chanin Donavanik, executive director of Dusit Hotels and Resorts, has been reselected as president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA).

Members of the THA chose him again at their monthly meeting in Bangkok yesterday. He was the only candidate for the top post.

Chanin was also recently voted president of the Asian Hotel and Restaurants Association, the first Thai to hold the position.

Chanin said he would take another two years in the role to help THA members to develop the tourism industry as a whole.

Despite the political crisis, Chanin said he would work more closely with members to create marketing activities.

The THA has 520 members nationwide. It has been one the most important tourism organisations in the Kingdom for more than 30 years.

THA vice president Prakit Chinamourpong said average hotel occupancy rates had been good in March. Hotels in Bangkok ran more than 80 per cent, as did those in Pattaya, Hua Hin and Cha Am. Chiang Mai hotels averaged 60 per cent. Only hotels in the South are still running at low rates of 50-55 per cent.

Prakit said some hotels in Bangkok near Rachaprasong intersection had suffered losses during the gathering of protesters at Siam Paragon early this week.

"One hotel there said it had lost Bt2 million on the first day of the protest," said Prakit.


Suchat Sritama
The Nation

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

Sondhi 'delays' return from China

The mystery of the sudden flight to China by Sondhi Limthongkul, a key leader of the opposition group trying to force the resignation of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, deepened this afternoon.

Mr Sondhi's Manager newspaper said the publisher would not return to Bangkok as earlier promised. It gave two different reasons for the delay - first that the Bangkok Airways flight was full, and then that Mr Sondhi feared he would be met by a violent crowd.

The web edition of his newspaper, Manager Online, said in a story this afternoon that Mr Sondhi had "rescheduled" his return and would now arrive back in Bangkok "as soon as possible," after which he would hold a press conference.

Maj-Gen Chamlong Srimuang, a key ally of Mr Sondhi in the anti-Thaksin campaign, predicted Mr Sondhi would arrive back in Bangkok some time on Sunday.

Both Mr Sondhi and the government have denied widespread speculation that his secretive departure for China on Friday was to escape a possible summons for lese majeste.

Mr Sondhi, a key figure behind the People's Alliance for Democracy did not even tell close political allies of his trip.

Rumours immediately started that he had fled because of a controversy over a story in Kom Chad Luek newspaper, which has sparked protests at Nation Tower against the allegedly anti-monarchy sentiments. The newspaper story at issue quoted Mr Sondhi prominently.

Pipop Thongchai, a Sondhi ally in the People's Alliance for Democracy, denied that Mr Sondhi was seeking political asylum in China, which some rumours said. Mr Pipop said he believed the Manager publisher will return to Thailand tonight, a story that became non-functional within hours.

Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana said Mr Sondhi Limthongkul went to China on a brief holiday, and likely will be back soon - certainly before the next major PAD rally on Friday.

ACM Kongsak denied Mr Sondhi was under any pressure to leave. A busy Bangkok rumour mill today was theorising that there was conflict within the anti-Thaksin groups, and others had pushed Mr Sondhi away.

Mr Sondhi faces a possible charge of lese majeste charge for his address before a mass rally of PAD-led demonstrators at Makhawan Bridge near Government House here on March 23. He left Bangkok last night around 8 p.m.

Before leaving, he told some friendly journalists that he wanted to have a rest and would return to Bangkok after 24 hours, via a Bangkok Airways flight. That story is non-functional.

Maj-Gen Chamlong, whose Santi Asoke followers have been key demonstrators at several recent PAD rallies, was among those taken by surprise, and said Mr Sondhi did not inform him of the trip.

The former Bangkok governor and political mentor of Mr Thaksin said, however, that he believed Mr Sondhi would return to Bangkok in time for the coalition's next mass rally planned at Royal Plaza next Friday.

Maj-Gen Chamlong visited the Nation Tower today to give moral support to Kom Chad Luek newspaper, which is deeply involved in the controversy and has ceased publication for several days to show responsibility over an inflammatory partial quote from Mr Sondhi about the high institution.

The newspaper report touched off speculation Mr Sondhi might fear lese majeste charges.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 1 April 2006 :-

Strange campaign, odd election

By Peter Janssen, dpa

One of Thailand's oddest election campaigns in its 64 years of democracy wound up Saturday evening with neither fanfare nor violence but plenty of confusion about the post-polling period.

Campaigning was officially closed at 6:00 p.m., Saturday. Voting starts Sunday at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m.

The past two months of campaigning have been marked by mass protests in the streets of Bangkok calling for the resignation of caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra prior to the polls, and an oddly quiet countryside.

Instead of usual poster wars and frantic canvassing for votes, campaigning has been a staid, one-party affair, similar to a communist country, with the prime minister and his leading Thai Rak Thai party encouraging people to come out and vote.

Thailand's three main opposition parties, for the first time in decades, have boycotted the snap election to protest Thaksin's alleged dictatorial powers.

Thaksin, whose Thai Rak Thai party won the 2001 and 2005 elections on a platform of populist policies, has chided the opposition for not playing by the rules and for being "undemocratic."

The opposition leaders have argued that Thailand doesn't need another election but instead needs a new round of political reforms to guard against what they view as the rise of populist prime ministers who use their popularity among poor voters to undermine democratic principles such as checks and balances, press freedom and respect of parliamentary procedure.

Thaksin, whose party won 19 million votes of the 32 million votes cast in the last election in February 2005, has vowed to stay on as prime minister if he secures more than half of the ballots on Sunday.

The opposition, civic groups, students and academics have staged near daily anti-Thaksin protests in Bangkok over the past two months and are urging supporters to vote against him.

The three opposition parties won 13 million votes in the 2005 election, so observers estimate that 16 million "no" votes would be needed to block Thaksin's return to power.

According to pre-polling surveys an estimated 31 million Thais, about 70 per cent of the 45.2 million eligible voters, will cast their ballots in what has been dubbed a virtual referendum on Thaksin's popularity.

Thaksin dissolved parliament and scheduled a snap election in response to a groundswell of popular opposition to his rule, especially in Bangkok, the capital and home to Thailand's middle and upper classes.

A broad swathe of Bangkok's better-informed, better-educated denizens were outraged by Thaksin's family sale on January 23 of their 49 per cent stake in Shin Corp, the Shinawatra business empire that hold government concessions in the country's largest mobile phone service, the national satellite network, a TV station, an Internet service and a no-frills airline.

The Shinawatras sold the family-held Shin Corp to Temasek Holding, an investment arm of the Singapore government, for 1.9 billion dollars in a tax-free deal via the stock exchange.

Besides highlighting the benefits that the Shinawatra clan has allegedly accrued during Thaksin's five years in power, many accused the prime minister of selling off sensitive national concessions to a foreign entity.

The post-election period is expected to be chaotic, no matter what the outcome at the polls.

"We're clearly in unchartered waters," said Chris Baker, a long time political observer and co-author of the book, "Thaksin: The Business of Politics in Thailand."

"Nobody really knows what's going to happen," said Baker of the post-polling period.

Analysts predict the election results could lead to violence, more protests or a constitutional crisis, since it is unlikely that the Thai Rak Thai will be able to fill the 500 contested seats in Parliament.

Thai Rak Thai candidates will be the sole contenders in more than half of the contested constituencies. Under the Thai constitution, they must secure more than 20 per cent of the votes in uncontested constituencies.

Given Thaksin's unpopularity, especially in the southern provinces which are the traditional stronghold of the opposition Democrat party, it is seen as unlikely that Thai Rak Thai will win enough seats to form a Parliament.