The city was thrown into confusion on May 16 when the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation said it would impose a curfew in some areas of Bangkok, only to then retract the statement a few hours later when army chief Anupong Paojinda reportedly opposed the decision.

The centre's decision to defer the reopening of schools was unavoidable due to the fighting in the capital and elsewhere in the country, the centre said.

As the chaos entered a third day, the death and injury toll continued to rise.

Thirty-four have now been killed and more than 221 have been injured, according to figures released on May 17.

The government hopes to weaken the red shirt demonstration by cutting off its financial supply.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva insisted yesterday that dispersal of the demonstrators was the only way to save people's lives.

Red shirt leaders, however, asked if they could enter negotiations with the government to prevent further deaths on condition that the United Nations brokered an end to what they called civil war.

The government dismissed the demand and said the crackdown would continue.