One person was confirmed killed as gunshots rang out Saturday night near Rajamangala Stadium where clashes between anti-government protesters and red-shirt supporters intensified on the eve of major protest marches.
An anti-government protester kicks a taxi heading for the red-shirt rally near Rajamangala Stadium. (Photo by Thanarak Khoonton)
Anti-government protesters earlier attacked a bus and a taxi carrying red-shirt supporters in separate incidents near the stadium on Saturday as fears of a confrontation grew.
The violence comes as weeks of opposition protests led by former Democrat MP Suthep Thaugsuban near a climax with the planned seizures of Government House and more ministries on Sunday.
A Bangkok Post reporter heard gunshots and what sounded like an explosion near the university about 8pm.
Police later confirmed that one person had been killed and five people injured. A 29-year-old Cambodian worker and two university students were among those taken to hospital with gunshot wounds. The worker apparently was a bystander and was shot in the back by a stray bullet.
It was not clear who fired the shots.
With protests expected to intensify further, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said police would do their utmost to protect state property and that force would be a last resort.
An anti-government protester attacks a public bus in which red-shirt supporters were riding near Rajamangala Stadium on Saturday. (EPA Photo)
Thousands of red-shirt members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) streamed into the capital on Saturday for a pro-government rally. The crowd at Rajamangala Stadium was estimated at 70,000 in the evening.
As they made their way to the stadium, some protesters were confronted by anti-government students from nearby Ramkhamhaeng University, leading to violent incidents.
According to live reports on a local TV station, one red-shirt supporter was attacked shortly before 5pm when he revved his motorcycle in front of the students. He was slightly injured in the resulting brawl.
The students later surrounded a taxi carrying a man wearing a red-shirt and smashed its windows with sticks but the driver managed to get away.
The students then marched to the stadium before Uthai Yodmanee, one of the leaders of the Students' Network, persuaded them to return to the campus.
He said anyone who went to the stadium would not be considered supporters of the anti-government movement.
Some students tried to help avert more clashes by instructing red-shirt supporters who were on their way to the stadium to use other routes and avoid passing the university.
However, Sathit Wongnongtoey, who is leading the rally at Ratchadamnoen Avenue, condemned the UDD for inducing the violence.
Pol Maj Gen Piya Uthayo, spokesman for the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order (Capo), said the incident in front of Ramkhamhaeng University stemmed from a misunderstanding and that police managed to separate the brawlers.
Later the students tried to close the gate of the stadium and police deployed around 600 officers to control the situation.
Police negotiated with both sides and they agreed that barriers would be put up to separate both groups.
Police then closed Ramkhamhaeng Road from the Lam Salee intersection to the Ramkhamhaeng intersection to prevent further incidents.
"About 2,000 protesters of the Students' Network were trying to pressure the police" said Pol Maj Gen Piya, adding that demonstrators were believed to be bringing more sandbags to key locations.
"We have information that there will be efforts to escalate violence in several areas."
Mr Suthep announced on Saturday night that marchers would set out at 10.45 Sunday morning for the Interior, Labor, Education and Commerce ministries. His aim is to make it impossible for the government to function and force it to step aside.
Premier Yingluck, meanwhile, defended her government's response to events, saying police were ready to protect state property but with "leniency" toward protesters.
Some red-shirts want the government to do more. UDD chairwoman Tida Thawornseth said on Saturday evening that if the government could not protect public buildings, it would be up to the red shirts to show what "people power" really was.
While attention was focused on incidents near Rajamangala Stadium, anti-government protesters faced heat from internet users after power was cut to a CAT Telecom facility in Bang Rak on Saturday afternoon.
Several servers went down and inernational gateways were knocked out of service. However, backup generators were deployed and service began to return to normal after about two hours.
In an earlier incident, dozens of anti-government protesters attacked a bus with paving stones and plastic chairs. The tyres of the bus were slashed but the driver managed to get away. No passengers were injured.