BANGKOK, (Reuters) – Thai anti-government  protesters in Bangkok surrendered yesterday, giving the  harried prime minister some breathing space to try to fix the  worsening economy.

“We have to stop because we need to look after the lives of  our supporters,” said Jatuporn Prompan, one of the leaders of  the red-shirted protesters loyal to former premier Thaksin  Shinawatra who still commands widespread loyalty among the  rural poor.

The government extended the New Year’s holiday for the rest  of the week for “public safety” in case the red shirts regroup  in Thaksin strongholds and come back to the capital, government  spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told Reuters.

“Overall, I don’t think this is the end of the story,” said  Danny Richards, senior economist at the Economist Intelligence  Unit in London. “This crisis still has a long way to go.