Agence France-Presse
BANGKOK -- Thailand will host a key regional summit next month despite concerns from countries all over the world about protests that have shut the main airports, a government spokesman said Thursday.
Veerinthira Nathongbor said there was no change of plan for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, despite the closure of Bangkok's two airports this week as an anti-government protest campaign escalated.
"The government confirms Thailand will go ahead and host the ASEAN summit in [the northern city of] Chiang Mai and have declared December 15 to 18 as holidays in the city to enable people to host the summit," he told reporters.
Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat, who is stranded in Germany after Bangkok's airports were stormed by protesters, said earlier he had been inundated with queries from other foreign ministers asking about the turmoil.
"Several countries are seriously concerned with the incidents happening in our country now -- there is no rule of law," the foreign minister told AFP by telephone from Frankfurt.
"Many countries are afraid that their embassies may be seized by protesters. Foreign ministers have repeatedly asked me what's happening."
Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam had raised the possibility of postponing the ASEAN summit due to the worsening political crisis in the country.
Sompong had been in Peru with Somchai for the APEC summit. During their absence, protesters stepped up their six-month campaign to topple the government, swarming the main Suvarnabhumi airport on Tuesday and shutting it down.
On Thursday, the smaller Don Muang was also forced to shut its doors when protesters surrounded it.
Somchai declared emergency rule at the two airports on Thursday to try and reign in the protests, after holding a special cabinet meeting in Chiang Mai to discuss the escalating turmoil.
He has rejected calls by the army chief to hold new elections.
Veerinthira Nathongbor said there was no change of plan for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, despite the closure of Bangkok's two airports this week as an anti-government protest campaign escalated.
"The government confirms Thailand will go ahead and host the ASEAN summit in [the northern city of] Chiang Mai and have declared December 15 to 18 as holidays in the city to enable people to host the summit," he told reporters.
Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat, who is stranded in Germany after Bangkok's airports were stormed by protesters, said earlier he had been inundated with queries from other foreign ministers asking about the turmoil.
"Several countries are seriously concerned with the incidents happening in our country now -- there is no rule of law," the foreign minister told AFP by telephone from Frankfurt.
"Many countries are afraid that their embassies may be seized by protesters. Foreign ministers have repeatedly asked me what's happening."
Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam had raised the possibility of postponing the ASEAN summit due to the worsening political crisis in the country.
Sompong had been in Peru with Somchai for the APEC summit. During their absence, protesters stepped up their six-month campaign to topple the government, swarming the main Suvarnabhumi airport on Tuesday and shutting it down.
On Thursday, the smaller Don Muang was also forced to shut its doors when protesters surrounded it.
Somchai declared emergency rule at the two airports on Thursday to try and reign in the protests, after holding a special cabinet meeting in Chiang Mai to discuss the escalating turmoil.
He has rejected calls by the army chief to hold new elections.
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