Almost the entire core leadership of the Thai protesters who built barricades and battled with soldiers in central Bangkok was in custody following the surrender today of two top organisers, official media said.

THAILAND’S prime minister extended a night time curfew in the capital and said he will consider early elections only after the violence that has wracked the nation for the past two months is completely over.

Thai police said they have tightened security and confiscated mobile phones belonging to the leaders of protests that paralysed Bangkok for weeks.

THAILAND’S premier said order has been restored after a deadly crackdown on anti-government protests triggered mayhem in the capital, but that the divided kingdom faces “huge challenges“.

Buildings smouldered across central Bangkok early today and troops exchanged sporadic fire with pockets of die-hards a day after the army routed anti-government protesters in a push to end Thailand’s deadliest political violence in nearly 20 years.

CENTRAL Bangkok became a flaming battleground yesterday as an army assault forced anti-government protest leaders to surrender, enraging followers who shot grenades and set fire to landmark buildings, cloaking the skyline in black smoke.

Central Bangkok became a flaming battleground today as an army assault forced anti-government protest leaders to surrender, enraging followers who shot grenades and set fire to landmark buildings, cloaking the skyline in black smoke.

Central Bangkok became a battleground today as the army stormed a barricaded protest camp and the Red Shirt leadership surrendered, enraging demonstrators who fired grenades and started fires that cloaked the skyline in a black haze.

Protest leaders in Thailand said they will surrender today after troops stormed into their Bangkok encampment.

THE Thai government rejected a proposal yesterday for peace talks with leaders of the Red Shirt protesters to end the deadly mayhem gripping Bangkok, saying negotiations cannot start until the demonstrators disperse.

The Thai government today rejected peace talks with Red Shirt protesters to end the deadly chaos in Bangkok, demanding the demonstrators disperse first.

The Thai government today rejected peace talks with Red Shirt leaders, demanding protesters in Bangkok disperse first.

Hopes rose for an end to deadly mayhem in Thailand’s capital as leaders of a protest movement occupying central Bangkok said they would unconditionally accept an offer by the Thai Senate to mediate talks.

Thailand's government has demanded an end to the spiralling violence in Bangkok - but as yet neither side has laid down their arms.

THAILAND’S government insisted a crackdown on Red Shirt protesters will continue despite their plea for UN-mediated talks to end four days of street clashes with troops that have killed 30 people.

Thailand’s Red Shirt protest leaders said today they are willing to negotiate with the government if the army ends its crackdown immediately to put an end to four days of street fighting that has killed 25 people.

Thai authorities today announced they plan to impose a curfew in parts of Bangkok that have been wracked by clashes between Red Shirt protesters and the army.

Thailand’s prime minister has today defended the deadly army crackdown on protesters in Bangkok, saying the country’s very future was at stake.

The Thai army has designated an area in central Bangkok as a “live firing zone” in a warning to protesters and local residents.

Thai troops clashed with protesters for a third day in Bangkok today, as streets in the centre of the city became battlegrounds and authorities struggled to contain Red Shirt demonstrators demanding the prime minister's resignation.

THAI troops fired bullets at anti-government protesters, and explosions thundered in the heart of Bangkok yesterday as an army push to clear the streets and end a two-month political standoff sparked clashes that have killed eight and wounded 101.

Troops opened fire on Thai protesters in deadly clashes today as spiralling street violence threatened to plunge the country into chaos.

Troops fired on anti-government protesters rioting near foreign embassies in Bangkok today as an army push to clear the streets sparked bloody clashes.

Protesters in the Thai capital reinforced their encampment today as government efforts to blockade them overnight led to sporadic violence that killed one man and saw a high-profile Red Shirt military leader shot in the head.

A RENEGADE army general accused of leading a paramilitary force among Thailand’s Red Shirt protesters was shot in the head yesterday, apparently by a sniper, an aide said, after the government warned it would shoot “terrorists”.

A renegade army general backing Thailand’s Red Shirt protesters was shot in the head by a sniper today as the government moved to crack down on an opposition encampment.

A Red Shirt aide has said a military strategist involved with protestors in Thailand had been shot in the head as gunfire and explosions echoed through central Bangkok today.

Gunfire and explosions echoed through central Bangkok today hours after the government warned it was going to seal off the area occupied by thousands of protesters.

Thailand’s army said today it would begin limiting supplies of water, food and electricity to protesters camped in central Bangkok in a bid to clear the streets by midnight.

Thai anti-government protesters said today they accept prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s proposal to hold elections in November but will not end their Bangkok protest unless a senior government official surrenders to authorities.

Thai protesters said today they had accepted a deal to end the violent political crisis that has paralysed central Bangkok for nearly two months.

A Thai hospital had to evacuate hundreds of patients today after anti-government protesters stormed in to hunt for security forces they suspected were hiding inside.

Thai protesters demanding the dissolution of parliament planned to spread out into more parts of Bangkok today, a day after forcing a shutdown of the capital’s busy elevated train system and escalating weeks of anti-government demonstrations.

Troops shut down railway stations in the Thai capital today after anti-government protesters broke into a station and threw tyres on the platform in their campaign for immediate elections.

Leaders of Thailand’s Red Shirt protesters told their followers to lose their signature crimson clothing so they can go undercover in case of a possible government crackdown.

Thailand’s embattled prime minister appeared on television today but offered no initiatives to end the country’s weeks long, sometimes bloody, political crisis a day after rejecting a compromise proposal by protesters occupying central Bangkok.

Guarded hopes rose today that Thailand’s political deadlock, punctuated by increasing hostility and bloody street violence, could be settled peacefully after protesters softened their demand for an immediate change in government.

AT LEAST three people were killed and dozens were injured in a series of explosions near a massive encampment of anti-government protesters in Bangkok yesterday.

Dozens of people were injured in a series of explosions near a massive encampment of anti-government protesters in Bangkok today.

Thai protesters today vowed to fortify their sprawling encampment in Bangkok’s upmarket hotel-and-shopping district before venturing out to “wage a big war” to topple the government.

Thailand's beleaguered government insisted it had no plan for an immediate crackdown on protesters despite handing over security operations to the army chief, saying today that too many people are camped in central Bangkok to use force.

An anti-government protest leader staged a dramatic escape from a hotel surrounded by Thai police today.

Emboldened Thai protesters vowed today to ratchet up pressure on the government after their first violent skirmish with soldiers eroded the prime minister’s credibility and exposed concerns about the army’s loyalty.

Thousands of defiant anti-government demonstrators have fanned out to other parts of Thailand's capital today, ignoring police orders to end their occupation of Bangkok's paralysed commercial district.