BANGKOK, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra urged people to vote in the upcoming elections, warningthat the nation would risk being dragged into the second financialcrisis if democracy faced a major stumbling block.

    As the general elections draw near in the next two weeks, the embattled premier continued his campaign vigorously amid cheering crowds of local traders in Bangkok's Pratunam commercial district,his latest campaign stop.

    The Thai Rak Thai party leader opened his speech with a big salvo at his political opponents, branding them as those who lack credibility to help the country. He said the number of tourist arrivals had dropped dramatically since core leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy launched major street protests against him demanding his resignation.

    He urged people to vote in the upcoming elections to show that "democracy belongs to the voters" not to what he termed as "mob rule."

    "Don't give in to those who want to disrupt democracy, otherwise Thailand will face the second round of economic crisis like what happened in 1997-1998," Thaksin said.

    He referred to the financial crisis eight years ago in which Thailand sought financial help from the International Monetary Fund.

    The Thai Rak Thai leader is scheduled to help his party's candidates campaign in the northern province of Chiang Rai on Monday. Enditem