Rural Thais say Bangkok protests hit livelihoods

Shadows of policemen with riot gear are seen near a barricade made by anti-government demonstrators who camped at the Government House in Bangkok September 5, 2008.

By Nopporn Wong-Anan BAAN BANGSAI, Thailand (Reuters) - Rural Thais say the middle class Bangkok protesters occupying Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's compound are destroying their livelihoods and should end their three-month campaign to topple the government.

They say demand for their goods has been hurt by a state of emergency that prompted some schools in Bangkok to close and has made people spend less, while rail and port strikes hit sales at home and abroad.

Somporn Graisamran, a fish supplier to Bangkok markets, said she now made a third of what she was making two months ago after a state of emergency declared on Tuesday.

"I want to see it over as soon as possible. I don't want to see my business suffer further losses," Somporn said on Friday in Baan Bangsai, a village 80 km (50 miles) north of Bangkok.

If she sold less fish, that meant fish farmers in Baan Bangsai earned less and fewer laborers were hired to catch fish for the market, she said, adding her daily sales had gone down to 500 kg (1,100 lb) from nearly 2 metric tons.

"I don't know what their definition of democracy is," Somporn said, referring to the thousands of urban, mostly middle-class protesters who have occupied the grounds of Government House for 11 days and resisted a court order for them to get out.

The protests are led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a coalition of royalists, academics and businessmen.

The PAD protesters, wearing the royal color of yellow, want Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's government to quit, accusing him and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- now in exile in London after fleeing corruption charges -- of wanting to turn the kingdom into a republic, a charge both deny.

"They don't love the king as they claim they do and want to fight for him," glass blower Prapha Janjaem said of the protesters.

"If they did, they wouldn't do what they are doing now," Prapha said. Exports of her glass souvenirs were stranded at Bangkok's port after union workers went on strike in support of the protests.

"Many of these well-off protesters may think they can afford to join the rally, but they don't realize that the demonstration is hurting everybody else in this country," Prapha said.

ARREST THEM

Chaiyaporn Chamnarn, a one-legged ex-soldier in Baan Bangsai, urged the government to end the stand-off at Government House.

"I only wish they would stop soon. I am very eager to see them arrested, with the authorities taking decisive action to deal with them," said Chaiyaporn, whose glass business had also slowed.

"I don't care who leads the government, I just want a government that can move the country forward," he said.

The village's handicraft business got a big boost after Thaksin became prime minister in 2001 and launched a nationwide program to create jobs for villagers -- one of the reasons why he and Samak, an ally, are so popular in the countryside.

"Our living conditions improved significantly during the Thaksin government. We don't know if he was corrupt, but we know that he made our lives better," glass blower Prapha said.

(Editing by Alan Raybould and Jerry Norton)