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Monday March 13, 12:31 PM Tale of two cities in protest-hit Bangkok Photo: AFP Click to enlarge BANGKOK (AFP) - The weekly protests aiming to force Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from office divides Bangkok into two cities -- one of late-night political rallies and one where business continues as usual. The anti-Thaksin rallies have been confined to a part of the city rich in symbolism -- near royal palaces, historic temples, and the Government House -- but far from residential neighborhoods and the main commercial district. That historic part of the city has no public transportation, with a tangle Bangkok's traffic separating it from the rest of the city, meaning most people only see the rallies on television. The protests have so far had little effect on Bangkok's commercial core and do not so far seem to have disrupted business or kept away visitors. Peter Schneider, a 48-year-old engineer visiting from Switzerland, said he was only vaguely aware of the political crisis, which has sparked weekly protests demanding Thaksin's resignation. Compared to his recent visits to the Philippines, which has also seen mass anti-government protests recently, Schneider said the situation in Bangkok was much milder -- or at least, less visible. "What's going on here has not affected my plans to stay for four weeks in Thailand at all," he told AFP while shopping in Bangkok's sparkling new Siam Paragon mall. Peempipat Manomaikul, a customer relations officer at Siam Paragon, said the mall opened as usual last weekend, even as the city braced for a new protest. "On Sunday, our parking garage was not big enough to accommodate all the customers," Peempipat said. The weekly demonstrations have drawn tens of thousands of people calling for Thaksin to quit over allegations of corruption and abuse of power. Thaksin has already been the target of four protests in as many weeks, with another set for Monday, when protesters plan to rally through the night and then march on Thaksin's office during his cabinet meeting Tuesday. The protesters have also failed to convince large crowds to take a day off work or to brave Bangkok's sizzling heat to press their demands. The anti-Thaksin rallies have been largely confined to a park during evenings on the weekend, leaving the work week largely unaffected. That could change Tuesday, if the protesters succeed in convincing a large crowd to join their march on Government House. Despite some forecasts that the political turmoil could weaken Thailand's economic growth this year, businesses and tourism operators have yet to report a downturn -- though many realize that could change quickly if the protests turned violent. Restaurant worker Pornprot Intaraklom, 33, said he was not worried about violence, but he feared the protests might discourage corporations from expanding their businesses or from awarding salary increases. "The prolonged conflict is disgusting. I see no reason for Thai politics to sink to this level. It's like kids fighting against each other," he said. "But for my personal life, nothing has changed. I am spending as usual and would not hesitate to go near the protests if I needed to," he said. Noppon Thiamwanchai, 22-year-old recent university graduate, said his only worry is that the protests might make it harder for him to find a job if the demos drag on. "The situation should get better soon, if they reach a compromise after Thaksin's dissolving the parliament," he said. Thaksin called new elections for April 2, but the opposition is boycotting the polls, which has raised fears that vote might only deepen the crisis.