UPDATING All Day, Every Day
At least one of the injured at Ramathibodi Hospital is from Phuket and has been named as Prokong Srijan. One bomb victim is in serious condition. Several require operations, doctors say. The toll has been revised from 28 to 36 people.
Original Report
PHUKET: A blast erupted as a street protest parade passed by in Bangkok this afternoon with 28 people reported to have been injured.
The injured were ferried to four hospitals: Ramathibodi Hospital where 15 were treated, Hua Chiew Hospital (eight treated), BMA General Hospital (three treated) and Chulubhorn Hospital (two treated).
Dramatic live television pictures showed the anti-government protesters running into a vacant building in the hunt for the person responsible.
Protesters previously reported to be unarmed carried pieces of wood as they scoured an area of vacant shophouses on Banthadthong Road.
Soldiers, who have been rarely seen on the streets during this week's protest, arrived soon after a joined in the search. They cordoned off the area and turned away a French journalist who tried to enter the building.
According to initial reports, the blast was caused by a grenade.
Most of the people in the street parade had passed by the time the blast went off. Protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban had walked by before the explosion and was about 100 metres away.
At least two hand grenades have been thrown into properties on successive nights but caused no injuries.
The anti-government protesters are marking day five today with the support of officials in two government departments - Public Health and Justice.
The occupation of central Bangkok has been festive so far with retailers today annoucing opening hours will be extended from 6pm to 8pm because so many people are turning out in the evenings.
The ''Shutwon Bangkok, Restart Thailand'' protesters have said they will stay as long as it takes to remove the Yingluck Shinawatra government from power.
