Thai Protesters Vow To Return Unless Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Resigns

PATTAYA, Thailand - Thousands of anti-government protesters retreated Friday after an all-day standoff with soldiers in riot gear at the Asian summit, but vowed to return the next day unless the Thai prime minister resigns.

The protests threatened to disrupt a gathering of leaders from 16 Asian nations, including China and Japan, aimed at tackling the global financial crisis and boosting trade within the region.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who has repeatedly refused to step down, said the summit would continue as planned.

"I would like to stress that we can provide security and ensure that these meetings will proceed smoothly," he told a news conference dominated by questions about the protests.

The faceoff between about 2,000 red-shirted protesters and several hundred soldiers was the latest episode in Thailand's long-running political crisis and an embarrassment for the country, coming less than five months after Bangkok's airports were shut for a week by a rival group of protesters.

Leaders from Southeast Asian nations were arriving safely at the summit venue, Abhisit said. But delegates to the meeting sought ways to avoid the protesters, who erected roadblocks on the routes up to the hilltop convention center in Pattaya, a beachside town about 140 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Bangkok, the capital. Some were forced to walk along the beach in their suits and dress shoes to reach the venue.

Despite their retreat Friday evening, the demonstrators said they might return.

"We have made our point. This government is illegitimate," said Arisman Pongreungrong, a protest leader. "We will return tomorrow if our demands are not met."

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The protesters had demanded that an international representative _ not a Thai official _ accept a letter that called for Abhisit's resignation. A representative from Malaysia accepted the letter, prompting their retreat.

Concerns for violence remained high.

A brief clash erupted as the protesters left and were confronted by a group of a few hundred pro-government supporters who were waiting about half a mile (2 kilometers) from the summit venue. They threw rocks and wooden sticks at each other for several minutes, until riot police separated them.

The protesters are supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed by a 2006 military coup and has fled into exile. Most come from the rural poor majority that benefited from Thaksin's populist policies.

The summit, which began Friday morning with a meeting of foreign ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, gets into full swing Saturday when ASEAN leaders meet with counterparts from China, Japan, South Korea.

The meetings conclude Sunday with the full-fledged East Asia Summit, which also includes India, Australia and New Zealand for a total of 16 nations. With Asia's export-dependent economies reeling, the primary focus of the meeting is coping with the global slowdown, although North Korea's recent rocket launch is likely to come up.

Deputy National Police Chief Wiroj Pahonvej estimated there were 2,000 protesters. He said earlier that about 8,000 policemen, including riot police, have been deployed in Pattaya. It was unclear how many soldiers were deployed.

Abhisit was appointed by Parliament in December after a court dissolved a government led by Thaksin's allies for election fraud. The protesters say Abhisit took office illegitimately and should step down so new elections can be held.

"We want Abhisit out. He is not picked by Thailand," said Upin, a 63-year-old housewife from Pattaya who declined to give her family name. "He doesn't know how to care for Thai people. He only helps the rich people, not the poor people."

Abhisit's government has been trying to move beyond a protracted political crisis that revolves around Thaksin. In November, anti-Thaksin protesters shut down Bangkok's two airports for about a week.

"If they (pro-Thaksin protesters) manage to derail the summit, it will certainly be damaging to the status of the government in the eye of the international community," said Prapas Thepchatree, director of ASEAN studies at Bangkok's Thammasat University.

Abhisit arrived at the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Center by helicopter Friday, a government spokesman said.

On Thursday, the demonstrators, whose numbers swelled to 100,000 in recent days, brought areas of Bangkok to a standstill. They blocked a major intersection and other choke points in the capital. More than 100 taxi drivers parked to block traffic, and other protesters later joined them and rallied into the night despite rain.

Vast traffic jams _ dubbed "political gridlock" by local media _ plagued thousands of commuters and the government declared Friday a holiday in hopes of calming the situation.

Safety concerns were heightened this week when a car carrying Abhisit was attacked by protesters in Pattaya. Abhisit was not hurt, but a rear window was shattered.

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Associated Press writers Michael Casey, Malcolm Foster and Ambika Ahuja contributed to this report.