Soldiers were patrolling the streets of Bangkok last night after two people died and hundreds were injured when police fought to prevent thousands of protesters from seizing control of Thailand’s parliament.

Two demonstrators lost their legs and eight police officers were shot or stabbed in the latest confrontation in months of protests between the elected Thai Government and the group that is demanding its overthrow, the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

Anupong Paochinda, an army commander, said that police had asked for help, but denied rumours of a coup two years after the military ousted Thaksin Shinawatra, the Prime Minister. “People should not panic. Soldiers will not launch a coup since it will not be good for the country,” he said.

Police used teargas to try to disperse about 8,000 protesters and created an exit eventually for the trapped politicians. The crowd had attempted to stop MPs from attending the opening of parliament and, when that failed, tried to stop them from leaving. More than 380 people were injured by teargas canisters and rubber bullets, according to the hospital that treated them. Television images showed one demonstrator who had lost a foot.

Journalists reported seeing at least three PAD protesters carrying guns and two policemen inside the parliamentary compound were shot. One person was killed when a car bomb exploded near the headquarters of a party allied with the Government, a mile from the protest.

The PAD had erected barricades of barbed wire and tyres to prevent the opening of parliament, without which the Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat, could not fulfil his constitutional duty of announcing his legislative programme. “I came in to do my job, so I will not quit working,” said Mr Somchai, who has been forced to work in an abandoned airport because the PAD has occupied Government House for the past six weeks.

The initial goal of the PAD was the overthrow of Mr Somchai’s predecessor, Samak Sundaravej, who was elected in December. He made no secret of his loyalty to Mr Thaksin, the most popular, but most divisive, Thai Prime Minister.

Mr Samak was forced to resign last month after a court ruled that he had improperly accepted payment for his appearance on an television programme. Despite its name, the PAD advocates an end to a fully democratic system in favour of a partially appointed assembly.

“No matter how hot it will be, how heavily it will rain, how hungry you will be, or how desperately you want to go to the toilet, you must surround parliament to prevent this Government from delivering its policy to parliament,” its most prominent leader, the media magnate Sondhi Limthongkul, said.

The deputy prime minister, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, the Cabinet member in charge of security, has resigned to take responsibility for casualties.

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