BANGKOK, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Three shopping centers on Bangkok's Rama I Road announced their decision to close on Wednesday and Thursday after the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) confirmed their rally outside the upscale mega shopping complex, Thai News Agency reported Tuesday.

    Siampiwat Co. Ltd and the Siam Paragon Development Co. Ltd said they would close three shopping centers including Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery Center, and Siam Center for two days following reports that Rama I Road in front of the three high-end department stores was likely to close due to traffic congestion.

    Closure of the road will affect goods delivery as well as transport by lorry into the shopping centers, not to mention customer access to the department stores and their staff, the two companies said in a statement.

    Meanwhile, commercial banks located in the Siam Square area said they would remain open despite the mass rally this week because customers needed to do business transactions as usual.

    Senior executives of financial institutions believe that the rally will not affect the operations of their banking facilities.

    All of Thailand's commercial banks have branches located in the Siam Square area, as it is one of Bangkok's prime business centers.

    Opponents of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, led by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) have decided to stage a mass protest on March 29-30 at the upmarket Siam Paragon shopping complex where hundreds of shops and restaurants and more than 40 tutorial schools are located. Enditem