Protesters in Thailand are luring children into their airport rally by paying mums and dads to give up their kids, according to an Australian trapped in the country.
Thousands of supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy have blocked Thailand's two main airports, preventing up to 10,000 tourists from leaving and sending businesses that operate within the terminals broke.
Inga Vennell, who was due to leave the country on Wednesday after a backpacking trip, told ninemsn shopkeepers, out-of-pocket tourists and children were being paid to join the rally.
"People who work at clothing stores, cafes and bars — and who don’t have any affiliation with the protesters — are getting paid about 100 Baht ($AU4.30) to go in there.
"We're not sure who is paying them but they're saying its great; there's so much food and water.
"The protesters have made walls of barricades that are made with boxes of water wrapped in barbed wire."
Families who joined the "peaceful" demonstration with babies or children were getting paid more, Ms Vennell said.
"Many families are pushing their children to enter into the situation to provide more money for their families," she said.
The idea is that the military or police won't use as much force because children were still there, she said.
Ms Vennell said the more violent protesters — the "rebels" — were taking stimulants and pills to keep themselves awake, which was making them more agitated and angry.
"They've tied together airport trolleys and wrapped barbed wire around them — that's what the police are having trouble getting through," she said.
Demonstrators seized the Suvarnabhumi international airport on Tuesday night and the smaller Don Muang airport on Wednesday.
The alliance has accused the government of being a puppet of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in 2006 and fled overseas to escape corruption charges.
Thailand's current prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, is Thaksin's brother-in-law.
Police overnight cordoned off the protesters, sparking fears a showdown is imminent.
The five-day protest inside the airport has so far been without violence but a grenade attack against protesters who have occupied the prime minister's office in Bangkok has wounded 46 people, emergency services said.
National Chief General Pateep Tanprasert said he was following the prime minister's orders to end the crisis "as soon as possible".
"My strategy is also based on non-violence," Chief General Pateep said.
"Currently, we are trying to open negotiations with protesters."
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