Bangkok: Thai authorities launched a massive clean-up operation in Bangkok's charred commercial district yesterday as the city prepared for the resumption of business after the worst riots in modern history.
Thailand's stock exchange and other financial markets will resume full-day trading on Monday, after being closed on Thursday and Friday following a wave of arson and street battles when the army dispersed thousands of anti-government protesters. "Our trading system and those of our members are ready to resume operations," Stock Exchange of Thailand President Patareeya Benjapolchai said in a statement on Sunday.
Thai stocks and the baht currency are seen likely to fall, with political risk rising and local markets yet to catch up with declines in the region over the euro zone crisis.
Government offices and schools are also scheduled to reopen today, but a curfew in the city and 21 provinces was extended yesterday for two more nights.
At least 54 people have been killed and over 400 injured since May 14. Almost 40 major buildings in the city were set on fire and the tourism and retail sectors have been devastated.
"The situation should return to normal from tomorrow when traffic returns to the roads and schools and government agencies open," Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in a regular weekly broadcast to the nation.
Precautionary measure
Abhisit said the curfew would remain in force for two more nights as a precautionary measure, but would last only five hours instead of the earlier eight.
"The government is striking a balance between restoring public confidence on security and minimising the impact of the curfew on innocent people," he said.
Police said a gunman fired pistol shots at a bank building in the city's suburbs in the early hours of yesterday, but there were no casualties. It appeared to be an isolated incident, an official said.
Otherwise, the city of 15 million looked eager for normal business to resume.
Thousands of volunteers, including hundreds of high school students, descended on the commercial district with brooms and garbage bags, carting away refuse and scrubbing graffiti off the walls.
"It's very upsetting, it was a nightmare in Bangkok," said one of the students from Triam Udom Suksa school, considered among the city's most prestigious.
"I am sad but we will bring it back to life."
Troops withdrawn
Troops were mostly withdrawn from Bangkok and remaining checkpoints handed over to the police.
The Skytrain and underground Metro resumed skeleton services, with near-empty trains eerily passing above the devastated central commercial district, taken over by anti-government Red-Shirt protesters for more than two months.
Workers were erecting a metal barrier around the ruins of Central World, Southeast Asia's second-largest shopping mall, set on fire at the height of the riots.
