The Thai authorities have failed in an attempt to arrest the leaders of the anti-government 'red-shirt' protesters. The six leaders managed to escape from a hotel which was raided by government forces this morning.

Hundreds of soldiers entered Bangkok's SC Park Hotel looking for those organising the supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The government says they are responsible for the violence on Saturday in which at least 23 people were killed.

One of the protest leaders, Arisman Pongruangrong, escaped arrest by using a rope to climb out of his hotel window. The six leaders joined a crowd of protesters in the street below and were taken to safety.

The attempted arrests have raised tensions again in the Thai capital after the relative calm of the last week, when the Buddhist New Year was celebrated.

The 'red-shirt' demonstrators occupied central Bangkok en masse a month ago hoping to force the resignation of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.