Thai protesters maintain vigil
 Protesters have blocked parliament for a second day |
Crowds opposed to Thailand's new Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva are rallying outside parliament for a second day.
Mr Abhisit was due to make his first policy speech on Monday, but had to abandon the attempt.
Demonstrators loyal to the ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra blockaded the building.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said the police had been ordered not to use violence to clear the protesters and allow Mr Abhisit access.
"We don't want to start our government's work with violence," he said.
But one of the leaders of the protest said that Mr Abhisit was free to enter the building.
"We still insist that the PM and parliament members should walk through us to get in. We guarantee their safety. By walking in, we can have a talk with him," Chakrapob Penkhair told the Associated Press news agency.
Constitutional requirement
Protesters say Mr Abhisit - the third prime minister in four months - has no mandate to lead and should resign.
 Abhisit must make his speech before parliament can start work |
He now faces crowds of red-clad opponents on the streets who say they object to his route to power.
Some reports suggest that if the protests continue the speech - which was expected to outline measures to try to boost Thailand's ailing economy - could even be put off until the new year.
Under the constitution, a new Thai government cannot start work officially until it delivers its policy statement to a joint sitting of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Mr Thaksin was ousted from the prime minister's job in a military coup in 2006, but elections in December 2007 under a new constitution returned his loyalists to power.
Several governments led by his supporters collapsed under the weight of court rulings against them.
Now his supporters are on the streets in moves to blockade parliament reminiscent of the protests mounted against them when they were in power.
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