Thailand's leader promised an independent inquiry into "all events" surrounding the redshirt anti-government protests and called today for reconciliation to heal deep political divisions that led to widespread violence with 1,800 injured and 83 dead in two months.
But prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, addressing the nation in a televised speech, made no mention of new elections, a key demand of the redshirts.
"Fellow citizens, we all live in the same house. Now, our house has been damaged. We have to help each other," he said.
"We can certainly repair damaged infrastructure and buildings, but the important thing is to heal the emotional wounds and restore unity among the Thai people," the Oxford-educated Abhisit said in an emotional speech that contrasted with his typical academic style.
He said order had been restored in Bangkok, where soldiers overran a redshirt encampment on Wednesday after a week of street fighting.
Abhisit acknowledged the "huge challenges" in overcoming the divisions, which he said could be achieved through a five-point reconciliation plan that he had announced earlier.
"That plan is based on the principle of participation, democracy and justice," he said. It includes economic and media reforms and aims to reduce social and economic divisions, which the protesters, mostly the rural and urban poor, had railed against.
They say Abhisit came to power illegitimately and is oblivious to their plight. The redshirt street protests began in mid-March to demand his resignation, the dissolution of parliament and immediate elections.
But earlier today, Korn Chatikavanij, the finance minister, said Abhisit's earlier offer to hold elections in November was on hold until political passions had subsided and the security situation had stabilised.
"We need to make sure that emotions have cooled to the extent that candidates from all parties can feel safe in campaigning anywhere in the country. Frankly we would not feel safe doing that today," he told delegates at a conference in Tokyo.
Abhisit said the government will allow due process of law and parliamentary democracy to resolve the country's problems.
"At the same time that plan will include an independent investigation of all the events that have taken place during the protests," he said without elaborating.
Today security forces swept 10 high rises including two luxury hotels for explosives and weapons, possibly left behind by fleeing protesters. Soldiers also led a search of the elevated Skytrain tracks as the service remained closed for the seventh day.
Sirijan Ngathong, a deputy spokeswoman for the army, said various explosive devices had been found in buildings and cars near the demonstration site. In Chinatown, which had been shuttered during the violence, many of the gold and food shops reopened and the streets were teeming with life and traffic.
Several roads in the centre of the city remained closed. Municipal workers cleared mountains of garbage that had accumulated. Using high-pressure water hoses, they cleaned the sidewalks and the entrance to Lumpini Park. Scattered arson and looting was reported late on Thursday and early today.
Meanwhile, anger among redshirts was simmering. The detained leaders of the movement had threatened more fighting. A criminal court today refused to grant bail to 114 leaders and supporters who have been detained since Wednesday.
Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, a second-level redshirt leader, distributed a statement by the group today calling for Abhisit and his deputy to step down to pave the way for reconciliation. He announced plans for new mass meetings. However, a report on The Nation website said he was arrested later in the day.
"I think this is a new beginning for the redshirts," said Kevin Hewison, a Thailand expert at the University of North Carolina. "It will be a darker and grimmer time of struggle and less-focused activities. By no stretch of the imagination is the movement finished."
Thailand's finance ministry estimated the economic damage to the country at 50bn baht (more than £1bn). Continued security concerns led officials to extend a nighttime curfew in Bangkok and 23 other provinces until tomorrow.