By Zaihan Mohamed Yusof

THE next time you take a cab in Bangkok, Thailand, do not be surprised if you see a metal pole or wooden stick beside the driver's seat.

These days, cabbies appear to be 'gearing up' to protect themselves from the violence creeping into the city.

Recently, they have been targets of attacks by protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

On Tuesday afternoon, pro-government taxi drivers clashed with PAD supporters in Bangkok, leaving two taxi drivers with gunshot wounds at Vibhavadi Road, close to a community radio station for cabbies.

In all, 11 people were injured.

The next day at 4.30am, two men were hurt by bomb fragments and one was shot, again near the radio station.

Now, it appears that the taxi drivers are not about to take a backseat to the violence directed at them.

Some are said to have armed themselves with sticks, poles and batons hidden under their seats, while others have concealed guns, locals said.

However, Mr Shinawat Haboonpad, a leader of the pro-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship and the head of a taxi club, has denied this.

Mr Shinawat, 55, who is a radio station owner and a host of FM92.75, a community radio station for taxi drivers, said: 'No, we do not keep guns in our taxis, just tools used for tyre changing, which we will use for self-defence.

'We're not afraid to defend ourselves, because it's always the yellow party (PAD) that starts the provocation by shooting at taxi drivers and burning motorcycle taxis.'

Yet, some news reports have suggested otherwise.

Provoked

On Tuesday afternoon, PAD supporters on the way to the Suvarnabhumi airport were provoked by the cabbies.

Taxi drivers, wearing red headbands, were seen lobbing objects at passing vehicles belonging to PAD.

The PAD supporters, armed with knives and sticks, then gave chase.

The long-standing rivalry between PAD and pro-government supporters, or those loyal to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has not been as clear-cut as in recent months.

Mr Shinawat said the majority of the 70,000 taxi drivers in Thailand support the government.

While such figures are difficult to verify, one political scientist said taxi drivers are loyal only because of former prime minister Thaksin's help to the group.

Dr Naruemon Thabchumpon of Chulalongkorn University said: 'Thaksin represents the underdogs of Thai society.

'When he was prime minister, his policies helped the average taxi driver get cheap loans in order to drive a taxi. His policies showed compassion, and that's hard to forget.'

Dr Naruemon said 'normal' taxi drivers are less likely to be targets of violence.

These are drivers whose concerns are about picking up the next fare and they are not interested in the protest, Dr Naruemon said.

It is those who publicly show loyalty or support towards one party or another who are often involved in clashes.

She added: 'It doesn't mean that just because you're a taxi driver, you automatically oppose the PAD. The support isn't homogeneous as there are also some taxi groups who support PAD.'

Nevertheless, she said the pro-government taxi supporters have vowed to block traffic using their taxis should there be a military coup.

Right now, the street demonstrations and clashes are hurting businesses.

Mr Shinawat said: 'It has always been hard to make a living (as taxi drivers). The protests and shutdown of the airports only make matters worse for taxi drivers, who just want to earn a living.

'All taxi drivers hate the protests.'

Likewise, Singapore businessman Lionel Lim said the human traffic to his shoe shop at Siam Square is uneasily quiet.

Mr Lim, 37, who lives about 20km from Bangkok's city centre, said: 'The situation is slowly turning bad (for business). The locals (Thais) are not going out to spend as they're more cautious.

'Maybe it's because of the bad economy or maybe it's because of the fear of violence. Also, I don't see many foreigners in shopping malls.

'In the last few weeks, I have seen a 50 per cent drop in business.'

Bangkok still safe

Still, Bangkok is a relatively safe city, international trade consultant Cecil Leong said.

You just need to know the 'hot spots' to avoid.

Mr Leong, 37, who has an office in Bangkok, said: 'The violence is sporadic and occurs only in certain areas.

'But I have seen PAD supporters mobilising by the lorry-loads heading to the airport, and my Thai business contacts have told me that taxi drivers are arming themselves for a possible showdown.'

Guns could be fired from both sides of the rival parties.

One news editor of an English newspaper in Bangkok said that while it is not easy to get a gun, it is not impossible.

The editor, who did not want to be named, said: 'It's possible that the taxi drivers are building up a weapons arsenal, because they're tired of being at the receiving end of the bullets.

'Nobody is going to say that they keep weapons in the taxi because it's against the law. It can turn out to be a case of fighting fire with fire.'

This story was first published in The New Paper on Nov 30, 2008.