Thailand slid perilously close to chaos yesterday as opposition protesters rejected a government decision to announce a state of emergency in Bangkok as “a declaration of war”.

Prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday announced the imposition of the state of emergency in a televised address, arguing it was needed “because we want to return the country to normalcy”. The state of emergency bans large meetings and gives the government and security forces wide-ranging powers to arrest and detain.

But anti-government protesters, fresh from derailing a key Asian summit on Saturday, reacted to the declaration by attacking both the Ministry of Interior, from where the Oxford-eductated Mr Abhisit had made the announcement, and his car as he left the building. The car was severely damaged but the prime minister managed to escape the area after guards fired shots in the air.