Hundreds of members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), Thailand's opposition movement, entered the Suvarnabhumi airport Nov. 25 and caused the cancellation of all air traffic. As Bangkok's main transport hub, the airport handles 45 million travelers and 3 million tons of cargo per year. Daily air traffic averages 76 flights per hour. PAD leaders on Nov. 24 vowed to storm the airport after surrounding parliament and preventing a legislative session from being held that day. PAD protesters reportedly broke into the fourth floor of the terminal and gathered in the departure lounge. The protesters say their goal is to prevent Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from returning Nov. 26 from Lima, Peru, where he has been attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Some reports say that, depending on the time, the airport will continue to accept arrivals, as the protesters are isolated in the departure area. However, the state-run company that administers six of Thailand’s airports claims that all flights have been canceled. Flights will be diverted to the Chiang Mai or Phuket airports, or other airports, and the prime minister is expected to have changed his plans and to arrive at an alternate airport on Nov. 26. Tensions have increased between the protest movement and pro-government forces over the past six months and especially since Oct. 7, the first time PAD protesters attempted to prevent legislators from entering parliament and were chased off by police wielding batons and firing tear gas. Two people were killed and 500 injured. Since then, grenades and small bombs have gone off repeatedly in limited areas of Bangkok affected by the protests. (click image to enlarge) The Suvarnabhumi airport closure marks the culmination of six months of PAD protests, as the opposition group has tried to prevent the government from approving changes to the constitution before Nov. 28, when the current legislative period ends (though a special session for different reasons has already been scheduled for Dec. 8-9). While PAD has blocked off smaller airports and train stations throughout Thailand, storming the international airport reveals that the domestic turmoil has begun to complicate Thailand's links to the outside world. At this point, the government and police forces are refusing to be provoked by PAD actions. Deputy Prime Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul, acting for Somchai while he is out of the country, has spoken with both the military and police and has vowed not to resort to force, calling instead for negotiations. On Nov. 24, the government closed down parliament rather than skirmish with protesters in the streets, and on Nov. 25, police received orders not to prevent protesters from raiding the airport. PAD members had to break through a wall of shield-barring police to enter the terminal and clearly were not brought to a halt. But while the government is refraining from cracking down on the protest, the potential for violence remains extremely high. Storming the international airport, which sees millions of tourists a year and serves as Thailand's vibrant commercial hub, is an exceedingly provocative action. Many think the government will have no choice but to send in police forces to restore order, as PAD members intend to camp out in the airport all day on Nov. 26. PAD, meanwhile, hopes that the police response will portray the government as oppressive and garner support for the opposition. On the other hand, PAD might be losing support as the government refuses to respond aggressively to its provocations. Ultimately, in Thai politics, the military is the final arbiter, and the threat of a coup is ever-present. So far, however, the Thai military has not shown any willingness to intervene. This type of restraint from the military is uncharacteristic, perhaps suggesting that PAD’s support in the military is diminishing.