23:59: Video from Japanese TV just after Seh Daeng was shot.

23:10 No more news about Seh Daeng’s condition except that it is still serious. More shooting though. ThaiPBS reporter at red shirt rally reports sound of gunfire into reds. Saw one red lying on ground with head wound. At least one dead. Many injured. Journalist Andrew Marshall is at the scene and tweets “More gunfire. Soldiers are shooting live rounds on unarmed protesters”.

21:10: TNN reports that Seh Daeng was shot by a high velocity gun.

20:25: ThaiPBS reports that CRES is currently checking news of Seh Daeng being shot, but says no news of Seh Daeng being shot on red shirt stage.

20:15: NYT reports that Seh Daeng shot while being interviewed by IHT.

BP: Well, NYT and IHT are basically the same so they should know – story byline is by both their reporters in BKK.

20:10: Now Tulsahit reports National Channel has retracted that report.

20:00: From Tulsathit of The Nation states Seh Daeng is dead and this is from Nation Channel.

BP: This is the only source reporting this, but have spoken to a journo who spoke to Seh Daeng’s aide who confirmed Seh Daeng had been shot in the head so his death is more than a possibility.

19:45: ThaiPBS reports that Seh Daeng shot in the head and is seriously injured.

UPDATE: 19:30 ThaiPBS reports that sounds of gunfire also heard near Sala Daeng intersection and was fired into the red shirts. TNN reports it was Seh Daeng who was shot.

Ok, finally have some time to blog. AP:

Thailand’s government planned a massive lockdown Thursday on a posh Bangkok neighborhood occupied by thousands of protesters, and warned that troops will not hesitate to shoot armed “terrorists” who resist.

Armored personnel carriers and snipers will surround the so-called Red Shirt protesters who have barricaded themselves behind piles of tires and bamboo spears in the 1-square-mile (3-square-kilometer) area, said Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the spokesman of the agency charged with ending the protest.

The agency “has shifted its strategy toward complete blockade and interception,” he said.

Separately, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajvia said he has rescinded his offer to hold elections on Nov. 14 because the protesters have refused to end their sit-in.

With the lockdown looming, leaders of the Red Shirts were defiant, saying their supporters would never “surrender” and were not afraid to die.
…
Sansern said sharpshooters with live ammunition will take up vantage positions; water and electricity supplies to the area may be cut off, Sansern said.

Massive traffic jams snaked across Bangkok as people rushed home from work early. Long lines formed at train stations in the area before the government shut them down at 6 p.m. (1100 GMT). A pier on the Chao Phraya river used by river taxis also was closed. But there was no sign of armored personnel carriers on the streets as night began to fall.

The government told medical centers to have doctors, nurses and ambulances ready for contingencies. Businesses were told to let employees take the day off Friday. Many banks and shops in the area put up signs, telling customers they were closing early.

The steps signaled a sense of desperation in the government that has been ineffectual in dislodging the Red Shirts from the Rajprasong neighborhood, lined with malls, upscale apartments, two hospitals, parks and embassies, including the U.S. and British.

“During the closing-in operation today, it’s possible that terrorists in the area would move in and encounter the officers. Therefore, the authorities must execute measures according to international standards and rules of engagement. Live ammunition will be used,” Sansern said.

The warning raised the specter of a repeat of the clashes between protesters and security forces on April 10 in another part of Bangkok that killed 25 people and injured 800. Later violence related to the protests have caused four deaths and injured 600.

Sansern said troops will use rubber bullets first but will not hesitate to use live ammunition in self defense if attacked.

“In addition, another unit of … sharpshooters will be on the lookout and will shoot terrorists who carry weapons,” he said.

From behind their barricades, leaders of the Red Shirts were defiant as they addressed supporters including women and children.

“Our brothers and sisters are not afraid to die. If the troops move in, our people will surround them,” said one leader, Jatuporn Prompan.

“We will never surrender. Please have faith in the fight,” he said. “As soon as troops move in, the Red Shirts in the provinces and Bangkok will rise together.”

The U.S. and British embassies announced they would close all services to the public on Friday. “Please do not come to the Visa Application Centre until further notice,” the British Embassy said on its website.

The U.S. Embassy will operate with limited staff Friday, said spokeswoman Cynthia Brown. Personnel living in the area have been given the option to relocate to temporary housing.

The Red Shirts, who are largely drawn from the rural and urban poor, see Abhisit’s government as serving an elite insensitive to the plight of most Thais. The protesters include many supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a populist leader who was accused of corruption and abuse of power and ousted in a 2006 military coup.

Thaksin, a former telecommunications billionaire who fled overseas to avoid a corruption conviction, is widely believed to be helping to bankroll the protests. He claims to be a victim of political persecution.

After agreeing last week in principle to Abhisit’s offer of November polls, the protesters later said they would stay put until the deputy prime minister faces criminal charges for violence during the protests.

BP: Will update this blog post throughout this evening as time permits. Q: Will blockade be successful? How long will it take? Will pressure be placed on the Crime Suppression Division to press charges against Suthep? (Note mere charges doesn’t mean there will even be a court case). Will the red shirts be satisified with that? So many Qs. It is almost anyone’s guess now.