Most Provincial Halls in Thailand open as usual

BANGKOK, December 2 (TNA) - Most Provincial Halls in Thailand opened for their normal operations on Monday morning although an anti-government protest leader has called on government officials to go on strike against the government of Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. In Lampang Province in the Thai North, Deputy Governor Ritthipong Techaphan, who is now the Acting Governor, and other government personnel arrived to work in the compound of the Provincial Hall and the offices of all 13 districts to provide public services as usual although anti-government protesters remain in the province. In Uttaradit Province in the Lower Thai North, local government officials also worked as usual, but Governor Chai Kittinopadol ordered security officers to take turns to strictly guard the Provincial Hall around the clock. In Nakhon Phanom Province in the Thai Northeast, the Provincial Hall also opened as usual and there were no protesters showing up, but security officers have been deployed to strictly guard local government offices. In Songkhla Province in the Thai far South, government officials of the Provincial Hall moved to work at the local border patrol police office to maintain public services, while a very small number of officials arrived to work at the Songkhla Municipality's offices and Muang Songkhla District standing in the same compound. In Yala Province, also in the Thai far South, schools and the Provincial Hall functioned as usual after security guards opened the back gate of the hall, as a stage of protesters blocked its front gate. In Ratchaburi Province in the central region, protesters camped and run their political activities in the grass field in front of the Provincial Hall, blocking local officials from working there. Meanwhile, Suthep Thaugsuban, secretary-general of his People’s Democratic Reform Committee, the largest anti-government protest group, urged government officials nationwide on Sunday night, including soldiers and police, to suspend their work to pressure the government to stop serving what he called the “Thaksin regime”, referring to exiled ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Premier Yingluck's elder brother. (TNA)