India on Friday advised its nationals in Thailand to take precautions for personal safety as protesters in Bangkok prepared for a massive rally on Monday aimed at paralysing the capital to intensify an ongoing bid to oust Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
The Indian Embassy in Thailand advised its nationals to avoid places where protests were being planned by demonstrators belonging to opposition Democrat Party. The Embassy advised Indian nationals to regularly monitor the situation through local media, their hotels, tour operators etc.
"Travellers coming from or going to airport may factor in at least one additional hour for travel to/from city in view of potential traffic jams. Usual precautions for personal safety should be undertaken and areas where protests are taking place should be avoided," the Embassy said on its website.
"Anti-government protesters have announced plans to blockade certain locations in Bangkok starting from 13 January including some government buildings and major intersections in popular tourist areas such as Asok-Sukhumvit, Silom, Ratchaprasong, Pathumwan, Lumphini, LatPhrao and ChaengWattana as well as other intersections," it said.
Protesters have said the Suvarnabhumi International Airport would not be blocked. "Government authorities have prepared alternate routes for the shuttle between Suvarnabhumi - Don Mueang airports. Public transport systems such as BTS, MRT and airport express link would be allowed to operate," the notice said.
The anti-government protesters have vowed to continue their protests and want Yingluck to quit even as caretaker prime minister after she dissolved parliament last month and called for snap polls on February 2. The opposition Democrat Party, which is leading the massive protests, has said it will boycott the polls.
Meanwhile, 60 prominent academics, intellectuals and activists across the political divide came together for the first time to form a network stating they are against violence or military coup and support election as well as well as reform.
The press conference which was held on Friday at Thammasat University came just less than three days before the planned shutdown of Bangkok by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) on Monday.
The newly-formed group, calling itself 'Network of Two Yes and Two No', said they were fearful that the risk of widespread violence is very real and Thais on both side of the divide must learn to co-exist peacefully.
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