October 23, 2008	Thursday	Shawwal 23, 1429

BANGKOK, Oct 22: Hundreds of angry anti-government protesters pelted Thailand’s Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat with shoes and bottles in Bangkok on Wednesday, witnesses said.

About 300 unionists confronted Somchai, who is battling calls for his resignation and demonstrations against his rule, outside the communications ministry in the morning.

“You’re a murderer, you’re a monitor lizard, shame on you,” members of the state telecommunications union shouted.

Somchai entered and left the building surrounded by a security team, as protesters booed and threw shoes, sandals and bottles at him.

During his meeting with officials at the communications ministry, Somchai said he was unperturbed by the onslaught.

“I have to be patient. I shook hands with a few of them — they did not attack me,” he said.

“I do not pay attention to these kinds of things.” Somchai has been in his post for just over a month, but has been under increasing pressure to resign after bloody street battles between police and protesters in Bangkok on Oct 7 left two people dead and nearly 500 hurt.—AFP