進入英語學習論壇下載音頻 去聽寫專區一展身手

Thailand blocked opposition websites and TV channels on Thursday, and the prime minister scrapped an overseas visit a day after a state of emergency was declared to quell nearly a month of mass protests.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called off a one-day trip to Vietnam for a Southeast Asian leaders summit, as tension remained high, with protesters scuffling with riot police outside a crucial satellite broadcast station.

Despite the decree, the red-shirted supporters of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ignored orders to leave the capital's main shopping district and promised their biggest rally yet on Friday after briefly storming parliament this week.

Nearly 1,000 protesters tried to push through anti-riot forces guarding Thaicom Pcl's satellite earth station in northern Pathum Thani Province. The company, formerly owned by Thaksin, was used by the red shirts to broadcast programs before it was taken off the air on Thursday.

The "red shirt" are demanding that it be back in operation by the end of the day.

The risk of a confrontation subdued Thailand's recently hot stock market, which fell more than 3 percent, in its biggest fall in more than two months, and brought a warning from the central bank over possible fallout on the economy.

Abhisit faces a difficult choice: compromise and call an election he could easily lose, or launch a crackdown on tens of thousands of protesters that could stir up even more trouble.

Most analysts doubt the authorities will use force to remove the mostly rural and working class protesters who have been camping out in Bangkok's up-market shopping district since Saturday - a politically risky decision for Abhisit as his 16-month-old coalition government struggles to build support outside Bangkok.

Questions:

1. Who is prime minister of Thailand?

2. Who do the anti-government protesters support?

3. What is the fallout from the unrest?

Answers:

1. Abhisit Vejjajiva.

2. Ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

3. Thailand's recently hot stock market fell more than 3 percent and brought a warning from the central bank over possible fallout on the economy.

去聽寫專區一展身手

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is fluent in Korean and has a 2-year-old son.