PRIME MINISTER Abhisit Vejjajiva said on national television at 11.25pm that he had tried peaceful solutions but the reds continued to elevate their level of violence to the point where he had to take action. He said he was sorry that people had been killed and injured.


AT LEAST nine people, including a Japanese journalist, are reported dead as Bangkok's month-long peaceful red rally became a bloodbath this evening, with up to 400 said to be wounded.

The clashes ended Thailand's hopes of restoring its image as a safe tourist destination, with Hong Kong the first country to lift its alert to ''black,'' the highest level, advising its citizens to avoid Bangkok and take extra precautions.

At 11.25pm, Thai PM Abhisit Vejjajiva interrupted normal transmission to make a special nationwide broadcast to try to achieve a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

While Phuket and other tourism destinations outside Bangkok remained safe havens, the situation in the capital Bangkok spiralled out of control after the army decided to end the peaceful but unpredictable rallies by red shirts in the city's streets.

Troops fired into the air and shot tear gas at demonstrators tonight, with a response from the reds with petrol bombs and small arms that left at least nine dead and scores of soldiers and protesters injured.

A colonel in a helicopter, dropping leaflets above the protesters, was said to be among those who have been shot.

The report of the first death came from a spokesperson for Klang Hospital in Bangkok, about 9.40pm. Other reports put the death toll at six and rising before 11pm. Dramatic television images showed scores of wounded or injured being carried to hospital.

While the military appeared to be proceeding with relative caution, it was plain an assault was underway from early evening, and that the month-long kid-glove treatment was at an end. Tear gas was being used at the two red strongholds in Bangkok. Army spokespeople said the reds were using real bombs and bullets in fighting back.

Later, an army spokesman was quoted as saying that troops have retreated from street battles and called on the reds to stop fighting.

Army officers told the red leaders at 5pm that they would move against them tonight, both at their strongholds at the Bangkok bridge and at the downtown commercial intersection. The red-shirt television channel has again been taken off air by the government.

At the downtown protest centre, where women and children are among the protesters, reds have have used tuk-tuks and other vehicles to block themselves in. Phuketwan was initially unable to contact any of the Phuket protesters who have been stalwarts among the reds and in the frontline of activities.

On Phuket, it was business as usual. While Thailand's tourism industry has been severely affected by the protest, with 43 nations issuing travel warnings, Phuket has been a sanctuary of calm and normality.

Today a small group of protesters parodied the army's lack of action so far . . . and the army appeared to be listening.

The protesters gathered at Surin Circle, outside the Metropole Hotel in Phuket City, carrying watermelons (Army-green on the outside but protest-red on the inside). Then a protester-actor with a gun chased and whipped a red-shirt actor, until his pants dropped.

Phuket has remained peaceful and tourists continue to come and go as usual, largely because of the direct flights that make Phuket a regional tourist hub. Flights involving tourists transiting through Bangkok were also unaffected.

Red-shirt commentators have made the point that the army is now acting against red protesters, however no action was ever taken against the yellow shirt protesters who invaded Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport in 2008, a move that led to the installation of the Democrat-led government of Khun Abhisit.

The reds have been campaigning in a series of rallies and encampments since March 12 for Khun Abhisit to stand aside and call national elections.

Russia's new Ambassador to Thailand, Alexander Maryasov, recommended the Russians "refrain from trips to Bangkok and go immediately to the resorts.

He told the Itar-Tass news agency that Russians who intend to visit Thailand should go to destinations other than Bangkok.

"Upon arrival in Thailand, go directly to the sea resorts in the country. In Pattaya, on the islands of Phuket, Samui, Tau and Chang, as well as in the province of Krabi, the situation is normal."