DHAKA: The United Nations closed its main office in Bangkok, dozens of schools closed and many civil servants stayed away from work on Monday as the Thai capital braced for more violence in a spiraling political crisis.
After a weekend of chaos in pockets of Bangkok, protesters vowed to push ahead with plans to topple prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra by occupying her office compound along with other key government buildings.
Police again used tear gas on thousands of protesters on Monday after repeatedly driving them back with similar attacks throughout Sunday.
In an e-mailed statement to its staff, the United Nations’ security department said ‘there could be violence (Monday) on a large scale...staff should avoid government offices’ and other protest locations.
Many of the offices and schools closed on Monday were located near the Government House, in the historic quarter of the capital, where police over the weekend fought off mobs of rock-throwing protesters armed with petrol bombs.
At least three people were killed and 103 injured in skirmishes over the weekend, reports The Straits Times.
The French Embassy issued one of the strongest warnings of dozens of foreign governments, urging citizens to ‘stay inside’ to avoid the conflict on Bangkok’s streets.
The French School is located in a north-eastern Bangkok neighbourhood where gunshots rang out over the weekend during clashes between Yingluck’s supporters and opponents. It was one of at least 60 schools closed in Bangkok on Monday.
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