Rioting and fires swept through Bangkok today after Thai troops stormed the fortified encampment of anti-government protesters, unleashing a wave of violence across the capital and other parts of the country.
At least five demonstrators and an Italian journalist were killed in the military operation, which provoked fierce resistance from the redshirts. Protesters set fire to buildings including the stock exchange and south-east Asia's second-biggest department store complex, and attacked newspaper offices and a television station.
Power was lost in the bustling Sukhumvit Road district, an area packed with tourists and wealthy residential complexes, hours after the army said the situation was under control