Government officials extended a dawn-to-dusk curfew for 24 provinces until May 16 in the hopes that their successful crackdown on protesters would sustain.

"We are confident that in the next few days peace and civility will return to Thailand," said Panitan Wattanayagorn, a government spokesman.

The spokesman said the government would quickly move to prosecute the Red Shirt protesters that were arrested during the riots.

"We understand their frustration, but the violence that went on last night was beyond frustration. It was organized crime," the spokesman said.

On May 19 the army surged into Lumpini Park, where Red Shirt demonstrators had amassed.

After hours of intense street battles, seven anti-government protest leaders were taken into custody. Three more turned themselves on May 20. Red Shirt leaders called off the protest, but it seemed as though many did not heed the call.

As a result of smaller riots that erupted throughout the city, a dozen buildings, including a bank, a police station, a local television station and Thailand's biggest shopping mall, were set ablaze.