Michael Smith, shown in foreground, said the airport was mostly peaceful Wednesday afternoon. (submitted by Michael Smith)

P.E.I. chef and television host Michael Smith is looking for a way to get out of Thailand after getting caught up in protests at the Bangkok airport.

Thousands of anti-government protesters broke through police lines and took control of the airport Tuesday afternoon. The airport is shut down, leaving Smith and thousands of other travellers stranded. Smith was in Thailand filming for the television series Chef Abroad.

"It seems peaceful but there's also a sense that this thing can go bad in a hurry," Smith wrote in an e-mail to CBC News.

Smith said there were as many as 10,000 protesters at the airport with more arriving every minute. Access roads are blocked and there are platoons of riot police in full battle gear who are mostly staying out of sight.

"There have been grenade attacks throughout the day," Smith wrote. "They have taken over the control towers and we doubt we'll be leaving through this airport. Throughout the crowd there are piles of tires as if some folks brought one or two along to burn. The barricades are being manned by some tough-looking guys in balaclavas. We have also seen lots of young tough guys bringing in sticks, batons and golf clubs."

Smith and his production team are holed up at the airport hotel. Their current plan is make the seven-hour road journey to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and fly from there.

The Chef Abroad team was on its way to Hawaii for a shoot that Smith said will likely have to be scrapped, but their current concern is their own safety.