THERE WAS an uneasy calm on the streets of Bangkok last night as citizens waited to see whether government efforts to break a siege by opposition protesters of the capital's two airports spiralled into a coup d'etat.
Addressing the nation on television, prime minister Somchai Wongsawat declared a state of emergency at Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports and ordered the army to stay in barracks, while mobilising loyal military units to end the occupation which has isolated Bangkok.
Protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) were getting ready for a clash with paramilitary police, navy and border patrol units after Somchai ordered an end to the blockades at the airports.
Truckloads of army units could be seen on the roads leading to the airports.
Somchai said the disruption was causing massive damage to the economy and accused the protesters of "holding the country hostage, and the public hostage". "National security must be enforced to protect the majority. The emergency doesn't aim to hurt anyone; I hope the protesters leave the area," he said.
The protests have led to flight cancellations and stranded thousands of travellers. The instability has damaged Thailand's international reputation as a lively, emerging economy, and hit the country's stock market.
"I need to do something to restore peace and order," Somchai said as he invoked emergency powers.
The last time the premier acted to quell protest was in September when the opposition occupied Government House.
Emergency powers allow for restriction of the movement of people, and prohibition of mass assembly in certain locations.
Army commander Anupong Paochinda has called for snap elections and for the opposition to end their occupation, which would effectively leave the military in control and would be a de facto coup.
The Nation newspaper reported that Anupong had a telephone conversation with Mr Somchai to exchange ultimatums.
"A blink could result in the prime minister's stepping down or the removal of the army commander," the paper said.
The problem is largely the political gulf between the Bangkok elite and middle classes, who revile former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and the majority rural and urban poor who loved his populist style.
The opposition wants to unseat Somchai's government because it says Somchai is a puppet of Thaksin, his brother-in-law. Thaksin and his allies stand accused of corruption and abuse of power, and Thaksin is now in exile, a fugitive from a conviction for violating a conflict of interest law.
Rumours of a coup were fuelled by a flurry of text messages following news reports of tank exercises, which the army said were a routine training exercise. Some offices closed early and medical teams were standing by in facilities around the capital, while senior military figures indicated that the army was on standby.
While the atmosphere was tense, Bangkok's citizens are well used to this - having witnessed 18 coups or attempted coups in 76 years of stop-start democracy.
Thailand's democratic life is functioning but chaotic, and the southeast Asian nation has been in political crisis since the army seized power in a coup in 2006. While day-to-day life tends to go on as normal during times of political unrest, relentless corruption trials, judicial manoeuvring and accusations of impeding the democratic process are having an impact.
In Chiang Mai to the north, where the government's support base is at its strongest, a pro-government gang shot dead an anti-government activist earlier this week after dragging him from his car. Government supporters were said to be mobilising late last night to be prepared in case of a coup.
In previous coups, Thailand's hugely popular King Bhumibol Adulyadej has intervened, but he is a few days short of his 82nd birthday and can no longer be relied upon to help in the same way, although his intervention should never be ruled out.
In a telling sign of the monarchy's view, Queen Sirikit last month attended the funeral of a protester who was killed in a clash with police.
Further complicating the current situation, the opposition has vowed to take to the streets if the military moves to oust Somchai, who was elected democratically, prompting fears of major destabilising civil unrest if there is a coup.
By focusing on the damage to the tourist industry, the government is hoping to appeal to fears of massive damage to a crucial income source for many Thais.
Losses in the remainder of this year could run to 150 billion baht (€3.29 billion), around 1.5 per cent of GDP. There are broader fears that the unrest could worsen the impact of the global slowdown and tip the export-driven economy into recession.
The government is drawing up plans to begin flying out thousands of tourists with "urgent needs" from one or two military bases in the next 48 hours.
That could include parents with young children and people with medical conditions, said Weerasak Kowsurat, Thailand's tourism minister.