At least one person has been killed and hundreds more injures in clashes between Thai protesters and police yesterday as months of political turmoil boiled over.
The Thai army was deployed to help deal with escalating violence which saw police fire tear gas into a crowd of thousands, sending bloody protesters fleeing.
Eight police officers were shot or stabbed as the angry mob overturned police cars and fired guns.
One female protestor was killed during clashes, an official from a Bangkok hospital said, but the cause of her death was unclear.
The violent conflict follows months of demonstrations aimed at ousting Thailand's elected government because of close ties to removed premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
"The government does not consider (the protests) peaceful," said government spokesman Nattawut Saikua.
"They are armed militants with guns and hand grenades and move with clear purpose to seize key government installations."
Government medical officals said 394 people had been injured, 49 seriously as police tried to break through the crowd who had surrounded parliament in an attempt to prevent Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from giving his first policy speech.
Prime Minister Wongsawat said he would not declare a state of emergency and Thai military officials were quick to insist the army's deployment did not indicate another takeover for the coup-prone nation.
"Public, please do not panic. The troops are being sent out not because there is another coup.
"Absolutely the military will not stage a coup. It's not good for our country," General Anupong Paojinda told reporters.
Another man was killed in a car bombing near the protest site, but police said it was unclear whether the explosion was linked to the protests.
