Bangkok, April 07: Thailand’s Prime Minister declared a state of emergency in the capital and surrounding areas Wednesday in response to escalating anti-government protests.
“The state of emergency aims to resolve the situation and bring a return to normal,” Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told a nationally televised press conference.
The decree came after red-shirted supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra forced their way into the country’s parliamentary compound, stepping up weeks-old protests aimed at toppling the government.
—Agencies