DHAKA: Thailand’s army will increase the number of troops in the capital ahead of Sunday’s election, which anti-government protesters say they will disrupt as part of their campaign to overthrow prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The government’s decision to press ahead with the February 2 election has inflamed tensions in the capital, Bangkok, where the protesters have blockaded main intersections and forced many ministries to close their doors this month.

‘In addition to the 5,000 soldiers we have already deployed in and around Bangkok to help monitor security, we will be increasing troops around protest sites as there are people trying to instigate violence,’ army spokesman Winthai Suvaree told media, reports The Straits Times.

Around 10,000 police would be responsible for security in Bangkok on polling day and the soldiers would be on standby, he added.

BDST: 1224 HRS, JAN 30, 2014