Soldier killed as Thailand protests escalate

He became the 27th person to die during the current political conflict, which flared up last month.

The government's Erawan emergency centre confirmed the death and said 18 other people had been injured in clashes as troops tried to block protesters from advancing along a road just north of Bangkok.

Witnesses said it appeared the soldier was shot by other security

forces during a chaotic confrontation.

The clash came after Red Shirt demonstrators, who have paralysed parts of the capital for weeks in their campaign to bring down a government they view as illegitimate, had announced that they were widening their demonstrations and dared the military to stop them as hundreds headed on motorbikes and pickup trucks to a planned rally in a suburb.

Along Vibhavadi-Rangsit road, riot squads fired into the air to push back protesters but several tried to remove razor wire blocks, prompting troops to level their rifles and shoot directly at protesters who fled into oncoming traffic.

Then security forces accidentally fired on a group of troops riding toward them on motorbikes. One soldier was carried away on a stretcher, bleeding profusely from the head.

However four motorbikes crashed during the gunfire, suggesting that other soldiers could have been hit by the bullets.

Later the protesters headed back to their enclave.

But the shooting raised concerns that more violence was to come after government warnings that patience was running out in the seven-week stand-off.

The army said troops were told to use rubber bullets but also had authority to use live ammunition for self-defence.

"We brought force out to stop them. At this point, society finds it unacceptable to have protesters travelling in a motorcade like this," a spokesman said. "We try our best to prevent losses."

The demonstration appeared intended to provoke the government, which has said it will not tolerate protests beyond the Red Shirts' enclave in the city.

It was the first confrontation since five grenades were fired near a gathering of counter-protesters last Thursday, killing one person.

At least 27 people have now been killed and nearly 1,000 wounded since protesters began occupying parts of Bangkok in mid-March, barricading major roads with tyres and bamboo sticks and forcing the closure of some of the city's luxury malls and hotels.

Although the incident with soldiers coming under fire from security forces appeared to be an accident, there have been accusations that some had been siding with protesters.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has repeatedly said he hopes to resolve the conflict peacefully but has yet to outline a clear way out of the crisis after calling off negotiations with the protesters.

The Red Shirt group are drawn mostly from poor, rural provinces and see the premier as having been put in power by Thai elites linked to the military and the monarchy, who are reluctant to accept election results decided by their votes.

They are backed by Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire media tycoon who once owned Manchester City and fled to Britain. The ousted prime minister introduced cheap health care and debt relief, and although accused of corruption, his backers see him as no worse than any other Thai politician or as the victim of a frame-up.

They want the government dissolved and fresh elections called.

'Essential trips only' advice

Travellers are advised by the British Government to avoid visiting Thailand for "all but essential" trips because of what us described as an "increasingly volatile and tense" situation.

According to the Foreign Office, violence is now unpredictable and breaking out in many parts of the country, when initially it had been confined to Bangkok.

There is also a growing risk of terrorism, possibly targeting areas known to be frequented by ex-patriots.

In the last few days, violence has broken out in popular tourist destinations including Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Ayuthaya.

Suvarnabhumi airport is operating as normal and the route there from the city of Bangkok remains open.