A security guard was shot dead and four other anti-government protesters were wounded when gunmen ambushed their convoy as it left the Chaeng Wattana protest site on Tuesday afternoon.
Medics carry a protester shot by gunmen to an ambulance after their convoy was attacked leaving the Chaeng Watthana protest site on Tuesday. (AP Photo)
The convoy of supporters of the Network for Students and People for Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) and the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) left the Chaeng Wattana rally area near the government complex to return to their bases.
PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban led the protesters to Chaeng Wattana to join the group, led by Lung Pu Buddha Isara on Tuesday, stirring up support from civil servants to support the ouster of caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
The convoy had just entered the inbound expressway when it was ambushed about 2.30pm. The gunmen targeted a truck carrying protesters and security guards and a bus following behind it, Nasser Yeema, chief of the NSPRT guards, told FM101 radio station.
The gunmen struck as the vehicles were passing Wat Bua Kwan and the Ban Ua-Arthorn housing project in Muang district, Nonthaburi.
A guard of the NSPRT on the truck was hit in the head and four protesters travelling in the bus were wounded.
Network key leader Uthai Yodmani said the guard, identified as Wasant Khamwong, died shortly after at Ramathibodi Hospital.
Both men said the gunmen were believed to have been concealed in one of the buildings near the expressway.
The network and the PDRC were convinced that two red-shirt members were involved in the shooting.
They said Yim Tasawang, a hardcore member of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), posted his message on the Lungyim Tasawang Facebook page at 11am: ''Dont' stay close to Lung Kamnan today. There's a report that a team led by Ko Tee has khanom (sweets) from the border waiting on their way back on the expressway.'' He was refering to Mr Suthep, known now as "Lung Kamnan".
However, the red-shirt member later denied any involvement. ''I warned you since this morning not to take the expressway. I'm not involved in this,'' he said on the same page after the shooting.
PDRC spokesman Akanat Promphan said the message's meaning was obvious and questioned the coincidence of the Facebook posting and the ambush.
''Everybody knows what khanom means,'' he said and urged police to bring him and Wuthipong Kachathamkul, alias Ko Tee, in for questioning.
Mr Wuthipong, who is a red-shirt leader in Pathum Thani, did not react to the shooting.
After the shooting, the PDRC and NSPRT quickly sped back to their strongholds, according to Mr Akanat.
The PDRC is based at Lumpini Park and the student network is stationed at Chamai Maruchet bridge near Government House.
Mr Nasser said the network was alerted about a possible attack on Tuesday and had already cleared the route from their base to Chaeng Watthana, but he admitted the difficulties of ensuring security checks.
''Normally we keep the destination of our march secret, but it was difficult today as the routes were clear,'' he added.
The shot-up vehicles continued to the NSPRT protest base and were awaiting police inspections.
Police had not reacted to the attack at press time.
The dead guard (left) and a wounded woman protester are treated on the bus in which they were riding when they were ambushed as the bus pulled away from a protest site in Nonthaburi on Tuesday afternoon. (Photo by Post Today)