Thai PM survives confidence vote over Bangkok protests

Abhisit Vejjajiva has promised an investigation into the crackdown

Thailand's prime minister has survived a no-confidence vote tabled in parliament in the wake of recent deadly street protests.

Allies of Abhisit Vejjajiva backed the prime minister, who was facing censure over his handling of the protests.

The 19 May crackdown, which followed days of skirmishes, left more than 80 people dead and 1,800 injured.

On Monday, a senior UN official called for an independent inquiry to be held.

Election date

During two days of debate, broadcast live on TV, the opposition Puea Thai Party charged that the army's use of live ammunition and armoured personnel carriers was excessive and resulted in civilian casualties.

But members of the lower house voted 246-186 to reject the no-confidence motion against Mr Abhisit, while others abstained. The government needed at least 238 votes to survive the motion.

The thousands of anti-government "red-shirt" protesters had been calling for Mr Abhisit to dissolve parliament immediately and call new elections.

The prime minister has yet to set a date for elections, saying some stability has to be restored before balloting can be held.

The red-shirts had been protesting in Bangkok since 14 March, occupying the shopping district and forcing hotels and shops to close.

On 19 May, the government moved in to seal off the area and a renegade general who backed the protests was shot dead.

The red-shirts are a loose coalition of left-wing activists, democracy campaigners and mainly rural supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

They are demanding fresh polls because they say the government - which came to power through a parliamentary deal rather than an election - is illegitimate.