BANGKOK, April 29 - (RAPSI) - A Thai court has postponed on Monday until July 29 the trial of the "Yellow Shirts" royalist activists who took part in the rallies in 2008 that paralyzed Bangkok's major airports, stranding thousands of tourists.

Some 96 members of the nationalist People's Alliance for Democracy group appeared in the Criminal Court over the wave of demonstrations against the allies of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in November 2008. At the time, they blocked the Don Mueang airport on the northern outskirts of Bangkok before moving to occupy the larger Suvarnabhumi airport for one week, causing airlines and tourist businesses hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.

They protested against the return to power of former supporters of Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006.

Key members of the group face terrorism charges and have been living as released on bail for several years. Some of them, including former Ambassador to Russia Kasit Piromya have parliamentary immunity.

They refused to give testimony until they all have been appointed lawyers. The prosecutors did not object, and the hearing was adjourned from April 29 to July 29.  The hearing is expected to extend for a lengthy period of time due to the large number of defendants and witnesses. The defendants refused to plead guilty.