A renegade Thai general who backs anti-government protesters has been shot, shortly after a deadline for troops to seal their Bangkok protest camp passed. Khattiya Sawasdipol, better known as Seh Daeng (Commander Red), was seriously injured, according to an aide quoted by AP news agency. The military had said it would start surrounding the protest camp at 1800 (1100 GMT) and advised people to leave.
Gunfire and an explosion were heard and there were reports of casualties. It was not clear where the firing was coming from. Earlier, a BBC reporter saw trucks unloading heavily-armed soldiers several blocks from the encampment. Shops and businesses near the encampment were urged to close before the deadline and transport was suspended. The protesters - who have been occupying parts of Bangkok for more than two months - want Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections.
The BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok says a column of about 200 soldiers had been seen moving towards the camp. Street lights have been switched off in the camp, plunging parts of it into darkness, but protesters continue to defiantly blast out music, our correspondent says.
Gen Khattiya is a suspended army officer who advised the red-shirts on military strategy.
He was part of the protesters' more radical wing and had accused red-shirt leaders of not being hard-line enough.
Mr Abhisit had offered polls on 14 November - but the two sides failed to agree a deal because of divisions over who should be held accountable for a deadly crackdown on protests last month.
On Wednesday, the government announced and then cancelled a plan to cut off water and power supplies to the protesters. I have copy this news from BBC News.
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