BANGKOK -- Tens of thousands of antigovernment protesters sang and danced through the weekend outside Thailand's main government complex, cheering on ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and offering the nation's new leaders -- and others in Asia -- a jarring reminder of the political risks accompanying the region's sharp economic decline.
Local businesswoman Darunee Kritboonyalai, a founding shareholder of a Thai iced-tea brand and an active supporter of Mr. Thaksin, said the protests against Thailand's government could grow as the economy worsens. "We're just part of a global situation, true. But this government doesn't know how to handle it properly," she said.
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The protesters are mainly seeking to restore Mr. Thaksin -- a multimillionaire businessman who was removed from office in a military coup nearly three years ago -- to power. They object to the way Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva came to power and are disenchanted with how he is handling the country's economic downturn, and so are hoping to fuel wider discontent.
