Resolution to conflict[edit]
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Further information: Thai general election, 2011
On May 3, the Thai Prime Minister announced he was willing to hold elections on November 14 should the opposition red shirts accept the offer. The following day red shirt leaders accepted the proposal to leave the occupied parts of Bangkok in return for election on the scheduled date.
However, one week later, May 10, protesters had yet to disband despite accepting the 'road map' proposed by the prime minister for early 2010 November elections. They placed new demands upon the prime minister that Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who was in charge of security operations on the clash of April 10, must first turn himself in for prosecution before they willingly disperse.
On May 11, Suthep presented himself to the Department of Special Investigation. The red-shirt protesters however were not satisfied and demanded Suthep be formally charged instead by police. The red shirts failure to disperse was taken as a decline of the conciliatory 'road map' and Prime Minister Abhisit's proposal of early parliamentary elections were withdrawn. This was followed by a warning issued from the prime minister that protesters must disperse or face imminent military action. Furthermore, the 'red shirts' led another protest on the May 19. The army killed over 90 protesters people thousands injured in the subsequent military crackdown. Army tactics have been heavily criticised for failing to abide by international standards and using lethal force on unarmed protesters.[46] At least six people including nurses and medics were shot by snipers inside a Buddhist temple set up as a safe area.[47][48]
Between 2001 and 2011, Isaan's Gross Domestic Product per capita more than doubled to $1,475, according to official statistics. Over the same period, GDP in the Bangkok area soared from $7,900 to nearly $13,000.[5]