Thai protesters open new front with attack on Thaksin-linked firms

(Reuters) - Making little headway on the streets, protesters in Thailand trying to oust the government have opened a new front, targeting companies tied to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's family and using social media to drive the effort.

Calls for a boycott broadcast at rallies and spread via Facebook and other social media had an immediate and striking impact this week: shares of a property developer controlled by the Shinawatras and a handset distributor with links to the family plunged by about 10 percent over three days.