Sept. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Thai protesters vowed to ignore a state of emergency imposed by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej after violent clashes with government supporters left one dead and 43 injured.

``We will never change our stance,'' protest leader Sondhi Limthongkul told reporters in Bangkok. ``Samak has to go.''

Thailand's Army Chief Anupong Paojinda, in charge of Bangkok's security after the decree, earlier pledged to refrain from using force to disperse the 5,000 members of the People's Alliance for Democracy camped at Government House.

The week-long standoff in Samak's office compound in the Thai capital may intensify tomorrow with unions threatening a major strike to support the protesters. A bloody street battle before dawn today followed four months of protests claiming Samak is a proxy of ex-Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who fled into exile last month to avoid corruption charges.

``For the emergency decree to carry any weight, it has to be enforced,'' said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute for Strategic and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. ``We're looking at an intense, do-or-die brinksmanship here.''

The emergency decree, which bans gatherings of more than five people, will be ``revoked in the next few days,'' Samak said earlier. It marked a change from the ``soft and gentle'' strategy Samak has adopted so far.

The seven-month old government may fall even if the thousands of protesters camped in his office are cleared after the Election Commission today said his ruling party bought votes in December polls and recommended it be disbanded.

`Too Much Damage'

``The government has done too much damage to the country,'' People's Alliance leader Chamlong Srimuang told supporters, according to NBT television.

People's alliance protesters blocked off access to Phra Athit Road, where media-company owner Sondhi's office is located, with a barrier of tires piled seven-high and barbed wire. Guards with motocycle helmets, golf clubs, sling shots and clubs were searching every car with no police in sight.

Sondhi, one of nine protest leaders facing arrest, said he believed Anupong would not use force.

``The reason Samak uses the state of emergency is so he can use Anupong to take care of us,'' Sondhi said inside the Government House compound. ``He wanted Anupong to disperse the crowd in Government House and Anupong came out and said he would not use force against the people.''

`Not Scared'

The People's Alliance has entrenched itself at Samak's office, setting up barbed-wire barriers and arming themselves with metal poles, golf clubs and knives.

The anti-government group's leaders have surrounded themselves with women and children at the office compound to deter police.

At Government House no army or police presence was seen and protesters were singing songs, eating and moving freely. Most government supporters had dispersed by 5:30 p.m.

``We are not scared of the emergency decree,'' said Wipan Keopraparn, a 39-year-old airline worker attending today's rally. ``The army just shows they will stay with the people. We think the military supports us.''

The People's Alliance is seeking a government free from the influence of Thaksin, and has proposed a mostly appointed parliament to take over from Samak's party.

Army's Objective

Army Chief Anupong said his chief objective is to keep the pro- and anti-government sides apart after clashes resulted in three people being shot. A 55-year-old man died from injuries to the head and body, the Public Health Ministry said in a statement.

Apart from the closure of more than 400 schools and one university, life in Bangkok proceeded as normal today with no enhanced police presence. The clashes were confined to a small section of the sprawling capital of 8.1 million people.

Sirichai Mai-Ngam, union leader at Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, said 200,000 union members at state enterprises will go on strike tomorrow. The labor union of national carrier Thai Airways International Pcl also planned ``tough measures'' in support of the protesters, and protesters threatened to close airports like they did last week.

The probability of Thailand's sovereign credit ratings being cut has risen because the political tensions may slow growth and harm tourism and foreign direct investment, Standard & Poor's credit analyst Kim Eng Tan said today. Thailand's baht fell to the lowest level in more than a year today.

To contact the reporters on this story: Rattaphol Onsanit in Bangkok at ronsanit@bloomberg.net; Daniel Ten Kate in Bangkok at dtenkate@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 2, 2008 08:56 EDT