Calm before a storm?

The streets of Bangkok and highways  from the suburbs are quiet this morning, but the city is bracing for a storm as red shirt protestors gather for what they call a show down with the government.

The government confirmed, yesterday evening, that as many as 50,000 troops have been deployed in the capital in a peace keeping role.

There are nine Royal Navy gun boats guarding the Thon Buri side of the river, opposite Thammasat University.

Ferries have halted their short commutes across the river, although the north-south river taxis continue, but have been ordered to stay close to the Bangkok riverbank.

“Red Shirts”, who support fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, will rally this afternoon after protestors gather at pre-arranged points in the city. The action comes just two weeks after Thailand’s top court confiscated US$1.4 billion of Mr Thaksin’s assets.

Deputy prime minister, Suthep Thaugsuban, who overseas the security operations, said “full deployment” began Thursday of 30,000 soldiers, 10,000 police and 10,000 civilian volunteer forces.

“If protesters intrude into army bases or police stations, the government will use armed force to crack down immediately, as we consider that an act of terrorism,” he told reporters.

The government has invoked a tough internal security act that allows it to call out troops, impose curfews but does not ban rallies.

Checkpoints have been set up throughout Bangkok to search protesters for weapons as they travel by bus and train from the provinces in the North and Northeast, the main power base for Mr Thaksin.

The Reds, resent what they call an undemocratic government and accuse of the current administration of partiality to the “yellow shirts that took over airports in late 2008 and caused irreparable damage to the country’s economy and image.

They challenge the government to take legal action in the courts against the yellow shirt leaders in the same manner as they have singled out red shirt leaders.

To back up their calls for the government to dissolve the house and call a new election, the Red Shirts say they will bring as many as 600,000 people to the main rally on Sunday but have stated it will be peaceful.

The government believes that around 100,000 protestors will turn up for the main rally.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva warned earlier in the week that there could be “sabotage”.

One of the main concerns for visitors and tour operators focuses on the airports. They were besieged by protesters in 2008, but government officials have stated that contingency plans in place to ensure history does not repeat itself.

However, Red Shirt leaders affirmed that the city’s airports are not a target for demonstrators..

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) said it too had prepared measures to ensure that trading was not affected between March 12 and 15.