Red shirts seek cease-fire

Ji Qiufeng, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, said the red shirts could fail because of their "violent approach in demanding democracy."

"Protesters seem to be on the brink of failure. They appear to have lost their rationale as they sought to achieve their goals by using force against the government. They won't win much of the public support by doing so," Ji said. "The biggest challenge facing the Thai government now is how to manage the country through peaceful and rational means, rather than finding a way to disperse the protestors."

Rajvithee, the nearest hospital to the Rajprasong site, started preparing am-bulances and beds as the government's deadline neared for the red-shirt protesters to end their rally, Dr Rewat Wisarutvej, director general of the Medical Services Department, told The Nation.

In addition to those killed, 256 others had been injured in the last week, the Erawan's Bangkok Emergency Medical Service Center said.

Protesters have occupied areas of downtown Bangkok for weeks, demanding the immediate dissolution of parliament and new elections.

The protesters claim that the current government is illegitimate, alleging that it manipulates the courts and the powerful military.

Many of the protesters are from poor rural areas in northern Thailand where support is still strong for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup.

The violence is feared to worsen as Renegade Thai General Khattiya Sawasdipol died Monday after being shot Thursday in an incident that escalated the current tension. Khattiya, 58, was believed to be shot by a sniper while being interviewed by reporters inside the barricaded protest site in central Bangkok.

On Sunday, red-shirt leaders proposed a cease-fire and talks moderated by the United Nations, but the government refused those requests. A red-shirt leader, Jatuporn Prompan, said the only hope now to end the violence was intervention by Thailand's revered king, Bhumibol Adulyadej.

At least nine international embassies in Bangkok - the US, British, Belgium, Canadian, German, Japanese, New Zealand, Swedish and Australian ones - said they would remain closed until at least today as a result of the clashes.

Government offices and schools were also closed Monday, as were Bangkok's mass transit Skytrain and underground services.

Song Shengxia and agencies contributed to this story