Thai airport siege is lifted after the government falls

VICTORIOUS anti-government protesters lifted their siege of Bangkok's two airports today while the ousted government's leaders met to decide on a caretaker prime minister to lead Thailand.

The country's immediate crisis, which virtually severed the kingdom's air links to the outside world for a week, appeared to be over and the People's Alliance for Democracy said it was ending six months of daily anti-government protests.

However, it warned it would return to the streets if a new government tried to return to past policies.

A court decision yesterday forced the country's prime minister from office and disbanded the three top ruling coalition parties, but they quickly were reconstituted under different guises and leaders met today to choose a caretaker prime minister.

A spokesman for the protest alliance said airport protesters were ordered to "clean up and pack their belongings" before leaving the two sites.

In what was billed as a hand-over ceremony, Vudhibhandhu Vichairatana, the chairman of the Airports of Thailand, hugged and shook hands with alliance leaders in front of a Buddhist shrine, while protesters danced to folk music.