<p><br /> A tense standoff remains in the Thai capital, Bangkok, after violence between troops and anti-government protesters left one soldier dead, apparently from friendly fire, and 18 others wounded.<br /> </p><p><br /> Heavily armed soldiers were out in force patrolling the edge of the city's financial district, as Red Shirt anti-government protesters continued their rally, which has paralysed the city centre.<br /> </p><p><br /> On Wednesday, confrontation between troops and anti-government protesters turned streets into battle zones after troops fired at and over the crowd and threw tear gas at anti-government protesters riding motorbikes down a busy expressway, blocking their efforts to take the protest into the suburbs.<br /> </p><p><br /> Earlier, Red Shirt representatives delivered a letter to the office of the European Union delegation in Bangkok requesting the EU to send a team of inspectors to prevent the government from dispersing their group, which has remained encamped in a major portion of the capital for several weeks now.<br /> </p><p><br /> "The EU remains deeply concerned about the state of affairs in Thailand and regrets all casualties," Suvi Seppalainen, press officer of the European Union delegation in Thailand, told the media.<br /> </p><p><br /> Elsewhere in the capital, Thailand's long-silent Yellow Shirt pro-government activists on Thursday demanded military action against the Red Shirts and an end to "anarchy" in the capital.<br /> </p><p><br /> The re-emergence of the Yellow Shirts, best known for shutting down Bangkok's airports for a week in 2008, added to the volatility on the streets of the Thai capital.<br /> </p>
