British Ambassador Quinton Quayle yesterday expressed his concern over the red-shirt demonstration urging all parties to exercise utmost restraint, not using violence against each other since it would damage Thailand as a whole.
"As a Briton who has learned the Thai language and loves Thailand, I am very worried about the situation and would like to see a demonstration that is peaceful as well as a compromise to end the conflict," Quayle told reporters as he met Pheu Thai Party leader Yongyuth Wichaidit.
The British diplomat said his government maintained a neutral position towards political conflict in Thailand.
Neither the airport closure (by the yellow group) nor riots in Pattaya and Bangkok (by the red group) were good for the country as the incidents destroyed tourists and investors' confidence, he said.
Quayle met Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva after the meeting with the Pheu Thai leader to discuss the political situation.
The red shirts under the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD) have called a mass rally in the capital this weekend to pressure Abhisit's government to step down.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya yesterday briefed some 100 Bangkok-based diplomats and representatives of foreign chambers of commerce on the government's measures to handle the situation.
Kasit told reporters he said in the 45 minute-briefing there would be some 100,000 protesters with 10,000 vehicles from provinces in the demonstration which would last between 3-7 days in the capital.
There would be multi-spot protesting in several places, notably offices of government agencies throughout Bangkok, to force the government to dissolve Parliament or step down, he said.
The government would provide sufficient security to protect foreign diplomatic missions and foreigners in Bangkok, Kasit said, noting that the Foreign Ministry would be taken care of by the military during the demonstration.
Asked if any diplomats raised the question of an attempted coup, Kasit said they did not.
"Thai people have freedom of expression - but toppling the government in an undemocratic way is against the law and hurts Thai society," he said.
A diplomat from a European country asked whether there would be an airport seizure as Kasit's yellow group did against Somchai Wongsawat's government in 2008. The minister was quoted as saying by an official who was in the meeting that "the airport is secured and I won't be there."
