Riot police fired tear gas at protesters trying to force their way into the prime minister's office compound and Bangkok's police headquarters on Sunday.
Reporters saw anti-government protesters trying to rip down concrete barriers outside the Government House on Sunday. Police fired tear gas and water cannons to push them back.
Separately, police drove back another crowd of protesters at the Bangkok police headquarters.
This was the first time police have used force against protesters who have occupied government offices for the past week in a bid to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Tensions began to rise Saturday night after pro- and -anti-government groups clashed in a northeastern Bangkok neighborhood and unidentified gunmen shot and killed two people. At least 45 people were injured during the clashes.
The protesters who mainly support the opposition Democrat Party accuse Yingluck's government of serving the interests of her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and abuse of power.
The violence has stirred fears of further instability like what plagued the country during related political conflicts in 2006, 2008 and 2010. In 2008, anti-Thaksin demonstrators occupied Bangkok's two airports for a week after taking over the prime minister's office for three months.
Any escalation is likely to scare away tourists who come to Thailand by the millions and contribute a huge chunk to the economy. But it may help the government by undermining the claims of its opponents to be carrying out a nonviolent campaign of civil disobedience.
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