The Olympic flame arrived under tight security in Thailand yesterday for the latest leg of its round-the-world relay and was quickly taken to a luxury hotel to await an official welcome by the country's crown princess.
The military and thousands of police have been ordered to secure the torch relay in Bangkok today to prevent disruptions by protesters of China's human rights record that have plagued the flame on other stops.
Chinese security officials escorted the torch on a charter flight that landed before dawn yesterday morning at a military airport outside Bangkok after leaving India, where 15,000 police helped keep Tibetan protesters away from the flame.
A pro-China gathering greeted the torch at the airport, according to The Bangkok Post. The newspaper reported that 30 Thais of Chinese descent waved Chinese and Olympic flags as the plane landed at 2.40am local time.
The torch was then driven to a downtown luxury hotel.
A 10.5km relay will be held in Bangkok's Chinatown today.
Up to 2000 police will guard the route, which could be changed and shortened at the last minute if protesters try to disrupt the relay, General Yuttasak Sasiprapha, president of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand, said.
The Thai military will also be monitoring the event, Mr Yuttasak said.
Authorities have warned that any foreign activists involved in efforts to disrupt the relay will be deported.
Protests over China's suppression of Tibetan demonstrations against Chinese rule have dogged the torch relay at various stops on its worldwide journey to Beijing for the Olympic Games in August.
‘‘Supporters of the Tibetan cause have the right to express their views but not to thwart the relay. We will not tolerate that,'' Gen Yuttasak said.
The torch is scheduled to leave Thailand for Malaysia tonight.
