The Thai military took yesterday Bangkok's financial district to prevent thousands of red shirts, who have been protesting for weeks calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, from coming to this area of the capital. The decision came after last Friday, appointed Abhisit General Anupong Paochinda national security chief, replaced by a deputy prime minister who was unable to control five weeks of protests aimed at forcing the dissolution of parliament and to call for anticipated elections.

Thousands of soldiers and riot police, many armed with assault rifles and pistols, were installed on Silom Road and environs, and the Bangkok Bank has been surrounded with barb wire, which has become a priority of the protesters, because as reported, it has close ties with the government. Prem Tinsulanonda, former army chief and prime minister and chief of revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is also a director of the bank.

The army said Silom Road, where there are many financial sites and office buildings, an area off-limits to demonstrators. The red shirts have been camped for weeks in the main shopping district of Bangkok, located nearby.

The Government has set a goal that the protests spread to new areas of the city, especially those of high economic activity. Some soldiers have taken up positions on rooftops of buildings for possible snipers and on the subway as you cross the city. A leader of the protesters accused the troops of preparing the district to be a "death camp."

The red shirts has had a big demonstration called for today, which according to some sources, could be held in the business district, which has raised fears of violent clashes the same as a week ago that killed 25 people and more than 800 were injured. The movement's leaders, however, plans to change and confuse the security forces.

The protesters are mainly poor inhabitants of rural areas, supporting the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and activists who reject the coup that ousted him in 2006.