Bangkok:
The Thai government declared on Thursday it had mostly quelled 10 weeks of violent protests in the capital as buildings still smoldered, but there were some reports of overnight violence in some pockets.
While the government regained control of the central commercial district of Bangkok, Thailand's finance ministry estimated the economic damage to the country was $1.5 billion.
Continued security concerns have led officials to extend a night-time curfew in Bangkok and 23 other provinces for three more days, as parts of the sprawling city remained volatile and fears grew that the tentative quiet restored to Thailand's capital may just be a respite from violence and political polarisation that could continue for years.
On Thursday, in the Din Daeng district, a bank was set alight, prompting a quick response from armed police who arrested at least three suspects.
Troops and anti-government protesters also exchanged sporadic fire in parts of the city and one incident left local residents jumpy and depressed at what was happening to their country.
"This really worries me. This shouldn't happen to Thailand," said resident and construction company manager Somjit Suksumrain.
A Thai military operation on Wednesday cleared most of an anti-government protest encampment in the centre of the capital, leaving 15 dead and nearly 100 injured.
Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kawekamnerd said the situation in the capital was mostly under control.
Three more Red Shirt leaders surrendered to authorities on Thursday. Five leaders gave themselves up the day before and were flown to a military camp south of Bangkok for interrogation.
"I'd like to ask all sides to calm down and talk with each other in a peaceful manner. Please dissolve your anger. We cannot create democracy with anger," Red Shirt leader Veera Musikapong said after being taken into custody on Thursday.
Not all were as conciliatory and another Red Shirt leader said the movement was simply regrouping.
Troops roamed the city on foot and in Humvees and exchanged gunfire with scattered Red Shirt holdouts, who fought near the city's Victory Monument and torched a bank, bringing to 40 the number of buildings set aflame after the military push sent the protesters retreating from their demonstration site.
It was Thursday's first reported arson attack after 39 buildings were torched the day before.
Since the Red Shirts began their protest in mid-March, at least 83 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and nearly 1,800 wounded.
Of those, 51 people have died in clashes that started on May 13 after the army tried to blockade their 1-square-mile (3-square-kilometre) camp.
As the situation remained tense on Thursday, Thai authorities extended a night time curfew in Bangkok and 23 other provinces for three more days.
The Red Shirts had demanded the ouster of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government and new elections.
The protesters, many of them poor farmers or members of the urban underclass, say Abhisit came to power illegitimately and is oblivious to their plight.
Analysts said Abhisit was under increased pressure to hold early elections.
The crackdown should silence the large number of government supporters who were urging a harder line, and the rioting that followed may extinguish some of the widespread sympathy for the protesters' cause.
But the government's failure to secure areas of the capital raised doubts about its ability to calm unrest in the protesters' heartland of the north and northeast.
The role of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra also remains a question mark.
He was ousted in a 2006 military coup and fled into exile before being sentenced to two years in prison for corruption and many Red Shirts want him back.
The government has accused him of bankrolling the protests and refuses to make any deals with him until he serves his sentence.(With AP Inputs)
While the government regained control of the central commercial district of Bangkok, Thailand's finance ministry estimated the economic damage to the country was $1.5 billion.
Continued security concerns have led officials to extend a night-time curfew in Bangkok and 23 other provinces for three more days, as parts of the sprawling city remained volatile and fears grew that the tentative quiet restored to Thailand's capital may just be a respite from violence and political polarisation that could continue for years.
On Thursday, in the Din Daeng district, a bank was set alight, prompting a quick response from armed police who arrested at least three suspects.
Troops and anti-government protesters also exchanged sporadic fire in parts of the city and one incident left local residents jumpy and depressed at what was happening to their country.
"This really worries me. This shouldn't happen to Thailand," said resident and construction company manager Somjit Suksumrain.
A Thai military operation on Wednesday cleared most of an anti-government protest encampment in the centre of the capital, leaving 15 dead and nearly 100 injured.
Army spokesman Colonel Sansern Kawekamnerd said the situation in the capital was mostly under control.
Three more Red Shirt leaders surrendered to authorities on Thursday. Five leaders gave themselves up the day before and were flown to a military camp south of Bangkok for interrogation.
"I'd like to ask all sides to calm down and talk with each other in a peaceful manner. Please dissolve your anger. We cannot create democracy with anger," Red Shirt leader Veera Musikapong said after being taken into custody on Thursday.
Not all were as conciliatory and another Red Shirt leader said the movement was simply regrouping.
Troops roamed the city on foot and in Humvees and exchanged gunfire with scattered Red Shirt holdouts, who fought near the city's Victory Monument and torched a bank, bringing to 40 the number of buildings set aflame after the military push sent the protesters retreating from their demonstration site.
It was Thursday's first reported arson attack after 39 buildings were torched the day before.
Since the Red Shirts began their protest in mid-March, at least 83 people, mostly civilians, have been killed and nearly 1,800 wounded.
Of those, 51 people have died in clashes that started on May 13 after the army tried to blockade their 1-square-mile (3-square-kilometre) camp.
As the situation remained tense on Thursday, Thai authorities extended a night time curfew in Bangkok and 23 other provinces for three more days.
The Red Shirts had demanded the ouster of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's government and new elections.
The protesters, many of them poor farmers or members of the urban underclass, say Abhisit came to power illegitimately and is oblivious to their plight.
Analysts said Abhisit was under increased pressure to hold early elections.
The crackdown should silence the large number of government supporters who were urging a harder line, and the rioting that followed may extinguish some of the widespread sympathy for the protesters' cause.
But the government's failure to secure areas of the capital raised doubts about its ability to calm unrest in the protesters' heartland of the north and northeast.
The role of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra also remains a question mark.
He was ousted in a 2006 military coup and fled into exile before being sentenced to two years in prison for corruption and many Red Shirts want him back.
The government has accused him of bankrolling the protests and refuses to make any deals with him until he serves his sentence.(With AP Inputs)
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