Bangkok - Thailand's Hat Yai International Airport reopened Thursday after a two-day closure forced by anti-government protestors.

Thai Airways International PCL, the national carrier, resumed its thrice-daily flights to Hat Yai, about 720 kilometres south of Bangkok.

Bangkok - Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Thursday refused to resign his post despite growing pressure on him to step down after failing to evict thousands of protestors from Government House, the seat of power, for more than a week.

"I cannot leave because under a democratic system no one group can force me to resign," Samak said in a broadcast to the nation Thursday morning. "I will stay on to heal the country's democracy."

Bangkok - Thailand's 43 state enterprise unions failed to deliver a nationwide strike Wednesday in a show of support for protestors who have occupied Government House for the past week, forcing the prime minister to declare a state of emergency.

On Monday representatives of some 43 state enterprises and 200,000 state employees threatened a nationwide strike starting 9 am Wednesday to support members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) who have occupied the seat of government since August 26.

Bangkok, Sept 2 : Following serious clashes between protesters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship of Thailand (UDDT) Thailand Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej today imposed a state of emergency in Bangkok till November 30. It was invoked under the Executive Decree for National Administration under an Emergency Situation.

The clashes had left at least one person killed and about 40 injured, reported the bangkokpost. com.

Bangkok - Anti-government protestors closed down Hat Yai International Airport Tuesday in a show of solidarity for fellow demonstrators in Bangkok which has been put under martial law.

Supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has occupied Government House in Bangkok for the past week, blocked the entrance gates to Hat Yai airport Tuesday, prompting authorities to suspend flights.

Thai Airways International and the no-frills Nok Air were forced to cancel four afternoon flights between Bangkok to Hat Yai, 730 kilometres south of Bangkok, because of the closure.

Bangkok - Thailand's Election Commission on Tuesday concluded that the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) should be dissolved for vote-buying in December's polls, ratcheting up the country's political crisis.

The decision came the same day that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej declared emergency law after a violent clash between pro-government and anti-government groups in Bangkok left one person dead and 44 injured.