Olympic torch arrives in Thailand amid tight security

[Bushman]

Olympic Torch Arrives in Thailand amid Tight Security

The Olympic flame arrived under tight security in Thailand on Friday 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 Saturday's torch relay in Bangkok to prevent disruptions from 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 Friday morning at a military airport outside Bangkok before dawn after leaving India, where some 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, which reported that 30 Thais of Chinese descent waved Chinese and Olympic flags as the plane landed at 2:40 a.m. local time.

The torch was then driven downtown to a luxury hotel.

Crown Princess Sirindhorn was scheduled to preside over a welcome ceremony on Friday afternoon ahead of a 10.5-kilometer (6.3-mile) relay starting in Bangkok's Chinatown on Saturday.

Up to 2,000 police will guard the route, which authorities say could be changed and shortened at the last minute if protesters try to disrupt the relay, said Gen Yuttasak Sasiprapha, president of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand.

The Thai military will also be monitoring the event, Yuttasak told a news conference on Thursday. He declined to detail the military's involvement.

Authorities have warned that any foreign activists involved in efforts to disrupt the relay will be deported.

A police helicopter will follow the relay overhead as police motorcycles ride alongside torch runners along with police vans in case the athletes need to jump inside for safety, he said.

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 this year's Olympic Games.

"We have been tightening security plans and adjusting them accordingly, following the chaos in London, Paris and San Francisco," Yuttasak said.

Stops in Kazakhstan, Russia, Argentina, Tanzania, Oman and Pakistan have been trouble-free.

"Supporters of the Tibetan cause have the right to express their views but not to thwart the relay. We will not tolerate that," Yuttasak said.

Eighty runners will take part in the two-hour and 45-minute relay, which will start from the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown and end at the Royal Plaza, a large square in the heart of the historic section of the city.

The torch is scheduled to leave Thailand for Malaysia on Saturday night.