Thai PM's car attacked, tension mounts before demo

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Protesters attacked a car carrying Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Tuesday as a minister warned that opposition elements wanted to cause chaos at a big rally this week in a bid to topple the government.

Abhisit was unhurt, but a window in his car was smashed when a group of red-shirted demonstrators surrounded the vehicle in Pattaya, a resort town where the cabinet held its weekly cabinet meeting and which is the venue of an Asian summit this week.

"It's okay. It did not scare me. I can still perform my work," Abhisit told reporters later in Bangkok.

Supporters of the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) have besieged Thailand's seat of government since March 26 in a bid to force him from office.

The UDD says up to 300,000 people are expected to join the rally at Government House on Wednesday. UDD leaders hope it will spread as far as the residence of former Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda, the chief adviser to King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Thaksin has accused Prem of playing an active, behind-the-scenes role in the 2006 coup that ousted him, an allegation the former army general denies.

Satit Wongnongtaey, a minister at the prime minister's office, told reporters security was being stepped up to control the demonstrators. "If unrest occurs, the government is not the responsible party," he said.

Thai financial markets are worried about the confrontation and the stock market was down 0.48 percent on Tuesday.

"Domestic politics remains the key risk factor for our market, with investors likely to sell due to fears related to the big rally on April 8," said Kosin Sripaiboon, head of research at UOB Kay Hian Securities.

TEMPERATURES RISING

Abhisit's car was attacked when around 40-50 protesters caught up with his motorcade at a traffic light in Pattaya.

TV footage showed one protester smashing the station wagon's rear window with a motorcycle helmet, while others hit it with sticks, shouting abuse at the prime minister.

Abhisit made a televised statement on Monday night warning that his government would use firm measures to prevent bloody confrontation between police and protesters.

The UDD said its rally would be peaceful, like the two-week siege of Government House.

"Our protest will be peaceful and we have measures to prevent anybody from inciting violence," UDD leader Nattawut Saikeau told Reuters.

A former Thaksin ally who defected to Abhisit's camp in December, ensuring his election as prime minister by parliament, warned the rally could easily descend into violence and called on Thaksin to call off actions that were dividing the country.

"I have to warn those wanting to join the rally tomorrow not to become tools or pawns," said Newin Chidchob, banned from politics but de facto leader of the Bhumjaithai Party.

"I have reason from past experience working with some leaders of the 'red shirts' to believe there may be a plan to incite violence. If that happens, innocent demonstrators will be the ones who lose the most," he told a news conference.

Abhisit has chosen to avoid confrontation between the police and UDD protesters, staying away from his office for the past two weeks, part of which he spent in London representing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the G20 summit.

Thaksin lives in exile after being convicted on conflict of interest charges last year.

His absence has not ended long-running political unrest, with Bangkok's royalist, military and business elite, who accused Thaksin and his allies of corruption and abuse of power, pitted against the rural and urban poor who loved his populist policies.

The 10 members of ASEAN and other Asian countries, including Japan and China, hold a summit in Pattaya from Friday.

(Additional reporting by Vithoon Amorn and Kittipong Soonprasert; Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing by Bill Tarrant)