Bangkok  - Thousands of travellers were stranded at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport Wednesday after their flights were cancelled because of a siege on the facility by anti-government protestors who have pledged to stay until the prime minister resigns.

The closure of the country's main airport has dealt an immediate blow to the country's tourism industry, the leading industry earner of foreign exchange for the kingdom.

"The damage done is huge," said Chaisak Angsawan, director general of the Department of Aviation. He estimated that Suvarnabhumi handles 370 flights a day, all of which have been cancelled or diverted to other airports.

Bangkok - Thailand has sought a clarification from the Indian Navy on its rules of engagement in sinking an alleged pirate ship last week off the coast of Somalia after evidence has emerged that the ship was a Thai vessel, officials said Wednesday.

"We have asked the Indian authorities to help us verify the ownership of the vessel and then clarify their rules of engagement," said Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat.

Bangkok - Thai protestors on Tuesday blocked the main road access road to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport in an effort to prevent the return of Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, who was scheduled to return Wednesday.

Police set up a blockade to prevent about 1,000 protestors, members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), from entering the airport and creating problems for passengers.

"At the moment it's just causing an inconvenience, but some people may miss their flights if this continues," said a spokesperson at Suvarnabhumi Airport's public relations department.

Bangkok  - Thousands of Thai protestors surrounded the Royal Thai Army headquarters in northern Bangkok Tuesday to thwart the cabinet from meeting after earlier chasing the government out of Parliament and Bangkok's old international airport.

The well-organized anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has succeeded in suspending parliamentary business and chasing the cabinet around town but appeared unable to spark the "final battle" needed to topple the government by Wednesday as pledged, observers said.

Bangkok - Thailand might see 1.1 million workers lose their jobs by the middle of next year as the global economic downturn bites into the country's exports, media reports said Tuesday.

Export orders were expected to drop more than 20 per cent by the second quarter of 2009, forcing industries to lay off workers to survive, the Federation of Thai Industries said.