Thai police have used tear gas to disperse a crowd of several thousand anti-government protesters. The protesters were trying to overthrow Thailand's government. They launched an attack on Bangkok's police headquarters on Friday, as demonstrations against Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej spread from the capital.

Tensions rose on Friday, three days after members of the People's Alliance for Democracy or the PAD occupied the Prime Minister's office compound to demand Samak's ouster.

Protesters claimed they had come to demand the surrender of officers who allegedly beat demonstrators earlier in the day.

The PAD assault on police headquarters came hours after riot officers tried to deliver a court eviction order and clashed with demonstrators inside the prime minister's compound. Later, the Civil Court retracted its order while the PAD appealed against the ruling.

Samak says he will consider declaring a state of emergency if the situation escalates.

The alliance accuses Samak's government of serving as a proxy for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is in self-imposed exile in Britain. Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup and faces several pending corruption cases.

Samak denies the allegation.

Protesters also staged actions in other parts of the country, causing three airports to close in the southern tourist destinations of Hat Yai, Krabi and Phuket and disrupting rail services.

(CCTV August 31, 2008)