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BANGKOK - Thailand's Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej vowed Tuesday to take "decisive action" to quell mass rallies in Bangkok, as protesters demanding his resignation laid siege to government buildings.
"Police will use all means to restore normalcy as soon as possible," Samak said in an address carried on national television. "Police will take decisive action against the protesters."
He was speaking as thousands of protesters seized a state-run television station, stormed the grounds of Government House and blockaded key ministries and government offices.
The protests are part of a long-running campaign to force him from office and cripple his administration.
"The military will not allow them to take control of the country. However, it is not the time yet for military force," Samak said.
"I will not resign, I will stay to protect this country," he added.
The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which has been protesting since May, claims Samak is running the country on behalf of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup and is barred from holding office.
Samak urged the demonstrators to give up and return home, warning that his patience was running out.
"The government has given them a lot of time, and now government restraint is almost over," he said.
"I ask all the protesters who have been blockading or occupying government offices that you still have a chance to withdraw and go back to your homes."
Samak announced that Interior Minister Kowit Wattana had been appointed to oversee the national police office.
- AFP/ir
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