Tens of thousands of Thai anti-government protesters occupied parts of central Bangkok on Monday, meeting no resistance from the authorities, ratcheting up a two-month agitation to force the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Reuters reported. Police and soldiers kept a low profile as the "Shutdown Bangkok, Restart Thailand" drive got under way in the city of about 12 million people. Although major intersections that normally teem with cars and trucks were blockaded, city trains and river ferries were operating, most shops were open and motorbikes plied the roads freely. But protesters said they were prepared for a long haul to tighten the noose on the capital, suggesting the crisis could drag on for days, if not weeks, threatening to inflict substantial damage on Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy. In a bid to end the unrest, Yingluck - who has a commanding majority in parliament - called a snap election for Feb. 2. Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban has rejected the poll, which Yingluck's Puea Thai Party would probably win.
