Thai troops fire rubber bullets to intercept Reds

BANGKOK, April 28 (TNA) - Thai security forces on Wednesday reportedly fired rubber bullets to warn off an approaching convoy of anti-government Red Shirt protesters during a confrontation in the northern Bangkok suburbs near Don Mueang Air Force Base in an attempt to turn back protesters.

Rubber bullets apparently forced Red Shirt protesters to retreat, but not before firing homemade 'bang fai' rockets to harass the helicopters.

Meanwhile, Red Shirt leader Nattawut urged the protesters to abandon their mission and to return to Ratchaprasong.

Hundreds of soldiers and anti-riot police manning a military checkpoint near the Royal Thai Air Force headquarters on Vibhavadi Road fired rubber bullets near the protesters to push them back. Several shots were heard.

Soldiers and police in full riot gear are pushing the protesters to retreat.

Police spokesman Maj-Gen Prawut Thavornsiri confirmed that security forces fired warning shots during the confrontation. So far there has been no clash between the troops, police and the protesters.

The confrontation came shortly after a group of Red Shirts in a convoy of 150 pickup trucks and hundreds of motorcycles moving from their main protest site in Bangkok’s high-end shopping area at Ratchaprasong to Talad Thai market in Bangkok’s northern suburbs to boost the morale of local Reds after police broke up and dispersed their roadblock holding back reinforcements for Bangkok on Monday.

Kwanchai Praiprana, assigned by the UDD leadership to lead the convoy, said some 2,000 Red Shirts are travelling to Talad Thai to intercept government security forces carrying weapons to Bangkok to
disperse them. (TNA)