Abhisit's motorcade pelted with clappers, flip-flops

Red-clad protesters targeted the prime minister and other key figures from the ruling Democrat Party yesterday when they visited the provinces.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva met with resistance from the red-shirts during a trip to Lop Buri.

He observed that hurling plastic water bottles at prime ministers was "normal in a democracy".

A water bottle, foot-shaped clappers and even flip-flops were thrown at his motorcade in Lop Buri after he was confronted by anti-government protesters.

The protesters consisted mostly of supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Abhisit, who was on a provincial tour to win hearts and minds, |said he hoped that one day the country would no longer be torn between red and yellow shirts, though |that would be up to every citizen.

The premier was ambushed by protesters while driving past a local health centre and seemed unharmed but shaken.

He even thanked everyone for a smooth visit. Some 1,000 security officers were on duty.

Abhisit insisted he would treat all groups fairly and claimed that people now understood government policy better than two months ago. He added that the country was returning to normal and the successful hosting of the recent Asean Summit had been a case in point.

Though the premier had lost some weight, he said that was okay because he had volunteered for the job.

Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul saw the matter differently, however, saying the protesters were violating Abhisit's rights by throwing things at him.

In Khon Kaen, Chuan Leekpai, former prime minister and now the Democrat Party's chief adviser, was addressing more than 1,000 people at a local market when a red-shirted woman shouted curses at him.

The noisy protest annoyed the audience, many of whom booed the woman. She resisted a police attempt to remove her.

A group of women market guards then overpowered her and hustled her from the compound.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban met with a small hostile reception on his visit to Nakhon Nayok province when some 30 protesters stole the scene from the larger welcoming crowd of 1,000 by shouting verbal abuse.

Amid tight security, they told Suthep to get out and called him shameless and a liar.