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New | Hongkongers heading to Thailand avoid Bangkok as anti-government tensions build

Some tours cancelled due to threat of violent protests

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Anti-government protesters hold national flags and shout slogans during a rally in front of Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014. Photo: AP

Scores of Hongkongers heading to Thailand for the Lunar New Year holiday will not stop at Bangkok as anti-government protesters ratchet up the pressure on Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down from office.

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Overnight, gunshots rang out across the heart of the city in an apparent attack on anti-government protesters early on Wednesday which wounded two people, and a small explosive device was hurled at the residential compound owned by the former PM Abhisit Vejjajiva, shattering windows and damaging the roof.

The ongoing Bangkok blockade has gridlocked commercial and tourist districts of the city, although many areas of the 12 million-strong capital still remain largely unaffected by recent troubles.

The recent spate of mass gatherings on the streets, which has seen tens of thousands voicing opposition to the government, has remained jovial, with a mostly party spirit, as protesters dig in.

Watch: Two wounded as shots fired on Bangkok protest

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