A renegade Thai general allied with "Red Shirt" anti-government protesters was shot and seriously wounded yesterday in Bangkok, where violent clashes broke out between troops and demonstrators.

Gunshots and a series of loud explosions were heard close to the Red Shirts' sprawling encampment in the retail heart of the capital occupied by thousands of opposition protesters.

Major-General Khattiya Sawasdipol, a key figure in the protest movement, was shot in the head while he was giving an interview to a newspaper journalist close to the protest hub.

Another demonstrator was shot in the head in another part of the city where troops opened fire on advancing protesters, according to an AFP reporter.

Meanwhile, Thailand's government yesterday extended a state of emergency already in place for the capital and surrounding areas to 15 more provinces, according to an announcement on national television.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declared emergency rule in Bangkok and five surrounding provinces on April 7 after protesters stormed Parliament as part of their campaign to topple the government.

The Premier signed an order yesterday to extend the special measures to 15 more provinces, mostly in the north and northeast, out of a total of 76.

"There are groups of people who are trying to cause chaos," the authorities said in the televised announcement.

The anti-government "Red Shirt" movement has defied the emergency rule, which bans public gatherings of more than five people and gives broad powers to the police and military.