BANGKOK, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva ordered security officers to beef up security around the
Vajira Hospital in Bangkok, where People's Alliance for Democracy's (PAD) core
leader Sondhi Limthongkul had been hospitalized after he was attacked by gunmen
early Friday morning.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban,
who is in charge of security affairs, expressed concern about the current
situation, the website by Bangkok Post reported.
Sondhi was attacked while riding on his way to his
newspaper and television office in Banglampoo in Bangkok at about 5:00 a.m.
local time when a group of armed men shot at his vehicle from a pickup. The
People's Alliance for Democracy is one of Thailand's active political groups.
Earlier on Friday Prime Minister's secretary-general
Panitan Wattanayagorn said the gun attack on the PAD core leader would affect
the government's decision whether the state of emergency would be lifted.
On April 12, the Thai government declared the state
of emergency in capital Bangkok and some districts of five nearby provinces,
citing the escalating violence due to anti-government "red shirt" rallies.
On April 11, thousands of "red shirt" protestors
stormed the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits venue in the Thai resort city
Pattaya, forcing the government to cancel the Summit. A state of emergency was
declared in Pattaya in the same day.
Thai "yellow shirt" leader survives
assassination attempt
BANGKOK, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Sondhi Limthongkul, a
leader of yellow-shirts protest movement which seized Bangkok airports last
year, was ambushed and injured when gunmen opened fire on his car early Friday
morning, Thai media reported.
According to The Nation's website, Sondhi, a core
leader of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), was riding on his way to his
newspaper and television office in Banglampoo at about 5:00 a.m. when a group of
armed men shot at his vehicle from a pickup. The pickup then sped
away. Full story
Doctor: Thai PAD core leader in safe
condition after urgent operation
BANGKOK, April 17 (Xinhua) -- People's Alliance for
Democracy's (PAD) core leader Sondhi Limthongkul was in a safe condition after
Vajira Hospital's doctors conducted an urgent operation on Sondhi as a bullet
lodged in his skull causing bleeding inside his brain, while he was attacked by
gunmen early Friday morning.
The urgent operation by Vajira Hospital's doctors was
completed before noon. Full story
Attack on PAD leader to affect Thai
gov't's decision on state of emergency
BANGKOK, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The gun attack on a
core leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), one of Thailand's
active political groups, on early Friday morning would affect the government's
decision whether the state of emergency would be lifted, said a senior Thai
government official.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and involved
national security authorities had already been reported of the gun attack on PAD
core leader Sondhi Limthongkul, said Prime Minister's secretary-general Panitan
Wattanayagorn. Full story
Security measure for Thai premier
tightened after gun attack on PAD leader
BANGKOK, April 17 (Xinhua) -- The security measure
for Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been tightened with a higher
number of security forces after the gun attack on a core leader of the People's
Alliance for Democracy (PAD) - one of Thailand's active political groups -- on
early Friday morning.
Prior to Friday, only security officers from the
Crime Suppression Division Thai Police and Armed Forces Security Center had
guarded the Prime Minister. Full story
