Int'l envoys briefed on Thailand's political situation

BANGKOK, January 8 (TNA) - A total of 63 representatives of Thailand-based embassies and international organisations, including 28 ambassadors, were briefed on Wednesday on the updated situation in the Kingdom, especially on a planned “Bangkok shutdown” by anti-government protesters from January 13 onwards. The international envoys were briefed by Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and a deputy spokesman of the government-run Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (CAPO) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok. Sihasak explained that anti-government protesters of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) have announced to occupy several streets in Bangkok on January 13 and their rallies could cause inconveniences to the foreign embassies and international organisations’ operations. Sihasak stressed that the Thai government is, however, well prepared to provide safety measures to the embassies and international organisations and will also boost security measures to their offices, especially those situated near the rally areas, including Silom, Sathon and Wireless Roads. During the briefing, French Ambassador to Thailand Thierry Viteau expressedhis worry over a feared cut of electricity supply at the French Embassy in the Thai capital as earlier done by protesters, saying he hopes that Thailand's caretaker government provides sufficient measures to prevent such incident from reoccurring. German Ambassador Rolf Peter Gottfried Sculze also expressed his anxieties over a feared closure of Thai airports, but the senior Thai official told him that the PDRC protesters do not plan to close any airport. However, none of the international envoys raised a question on a military coup during the briefing.(TNA)