Thai embassies briefed on anti-govt protests

They said it was part of the country's democratisation.

While acknowledging that the incidents had a negative impact on the country's tourism and economy, Minister Tej Bunnag said they were essentially part of "country's political growth and democratisation".

The storming of Government House and standoff between the People's Alliance for Democracy and the government was widely reported around the world.

International news reports carried photos of protesters wearing yellow shirts and waving Thai flags trampling over the ornate iron fence at Government House on Tuesday, while tens of thousands of demonstrators took part in the multifaceted assault on the government.

Tej said the ministry sought to give Thai ambassadors and consuls complete and accurate information, so they would be able explain the situation to the governments of countries where they were stationed, if people had any doubts about the situation.

So far, Tej said, no country had asked the ministry about what happened in Thailand as foreign embassies here had monitored the situation and reported the latest developments to their countries.

He conceded the latest PAD-led rallies would affect tourism and the economy but hoped the situation would not escalate or turn violent.

However, the ministry had tried to tell foreign countries the dramas were part of the development of Thailand's democracy.

The minister said he hoped the situation would not escalate or turn violent.