A Thai general linked to anti-government rallies has been shot hours after a deadline for protesters to clear their Bangkok camp expired.
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 it into darkness, but protesters continue to defiantly blast out music, our correspondent says.
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