Thai protests continue on summit eve

BANGKOK: Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted yesterday that an Asian summit, postponed once already, would go ahead in Thailand this week despite a mass rally in Bangkok by demonstrators intent on toppling him.

By late afternoon, police said around 50,000 red-shirted demonstrators, supporters of ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, were at Government House and the nearby Royal Plaza, nowhere near the 300,000 expected by the organizers.

No clashes were reported, although protesters vandalized several vehicles belonging to television news stations they said had given too low turnout figures for the rally.