Thai protesters lay siege to government offices

Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra eschewed the use of violence to tackle anti-government protests, and reiterated the offer of talks as those seeking her ouster laid siege to state offices in the capital.

''Today, we choose to be condemned as a weak government, not using force and being invaded by protesters,'' Yingluck told reporters. ''It is better than setting a deadline to regain our ground and leading to people's suffering.''

Suthep Thaugsuban, a former deputy prime minister with the main opposition Democrat Party who led the protests, told supporters yesterday that his movement was seeking victory against Yingluck's administration by tomorrow.

Rejecting multiple offers from Yingluck for talks to ease tensions over the past month, Thaugsuban said that the demonstrations would not end until her government and the political influence of Thaksin Shinawatra, her brother, had been removed.

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered at a number of places in Bangkok on Saturday, entering the compounds of the Department of Special Investigation, CAT Telecom Pcl and TOT Pcl, according to Piya Uthayo, a spokesman for the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order.

He added, police officers would not allow protesters to break into key government offices, including Government House and police headquarters.

Panich Vikitsreth, a former Democrat Party member of parliament who had joined the protests, said the government did not have righteousness to govern the country.

Meanwhile, hundreds of demonstrators entered army headquarters in Bangkok, on the sixth day of anti-government rallies.

They broke down a gate, held a rally in the compound and asked for the help of the army in their campaign, and later withdrew without confrontation.

PM Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday called for ending demonstrations after surviving a no-confidence vote.

However, protest leader Thaugsuban rejecting her speech late on Thursday said the government would not be allowed to work any more.

According to the BBC's Jonah Fisher, who reported from the scene, protestors gathered on a lawn and listened to leaders on a stage they had erected.

Urging the army to come out in support of the demonstrators they said they wanted to know which side the army stood on, Reuters quoted one protestor as saying.

According to the BBC correspondent the atmosphere was good natured and the authorities appeared keen to avoid confrontation and the protestors later left peacefully.