No budget, no elevators: political crisis gums up Thai government

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Bangkok's Government House, the seat of power in the heart of the Thai capital, has stood empty for six months, except for the troops guarding it from protesters who want to oust the administration and overhaul Thailand's democracy.

Last week, as if to illustrate just how dysfunctional Thai politics has become, leaders of the protests were allowed to move into a building in the sprawling compound. The prime minister's office, cabinet meeting room and the rest of the premises housing the apparatus of government remained shut.