Red-shirt protesters agreed to return to the main rally site at Phan Fah Bridge Saturday evening after soldiers and police force agreed to move from outside to be stationed inside the Government House compound.
Earlier, the red-shirt leaders submitted an ultimatum for the troops to leave the Government House.
But at 7:10 pm, Suporn Atthawong made an announcement for the red-shirt protesters to retreat to the Phan Fah bridge.
Suporn said the mission to pressure the troops at Government House had to be cut short because the evening had fallen and it could be dangerous for the protesters.
Suporn said if the protesters stormed inside the Government House, the government would have a justification to declare the state of emergency.
Suporn made the announcement on the sound truck following a series of negotiations with Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangprapai, commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 1.
Wichai himself went on the sound truck and announced that he had agreed with the red-shirt leaders to have the troops move from the outside to be stationed inside the Government House's compound.
Earlier the day, red shirts had succeeded to flush security forces from strategic positions around their Phan Fa rally site. Then, they turned to target the troops at the Government House.
An earlier report said Government House troops were ready to withdraw, but such decision was apparently vetoed, leading to high tension at the scene at the moment.
In the earlier hours of negotiations mediated by Wichai, the troops agreed to withdraw from the compound. But reporters from the scene said the troops were ordered by the National Peacekeeping Operations Command to maintain position.
The troops were ordered to follow the procedures of dealing with the protesters if they break in.
On Friday, the red-shirt leaders announced that they would not stage a march Saturday.
However, at 10 am Saturday, Veera Musigapong, a red-shirt leader, announced that the red-shirt protesters would march to eight areas where soldiers are stationed to tell the troops to return to their barracks.
The eight areas are Borwornniwet Temple, Tri Thossathep Temple, Makut Kasattriyaram Temple, Khae Nang Loeng Temple, Somanas Temple, the Nang Loeng Royal Turf Club, the Technology Rajamangala University Phra Nakhon and the Dusit Zoo.
The red-shirt protesters divided into groups and marched to the areas and gradually won in their mission to tell the troops to leave.
The fist victory happened at the Nang Lerng racecourse and the red-shirt protesters gradually won agreements from troops to leave other locations.
Later in the afternoon, most red-shirt leaders returned to the Phan Fah main rally site and the leaders announced the victory.
But later in the evening at about 5:41 pm, Suporn Atthawong, Phayup Punket and Waipoj Arpornrat led red-shirt leaders to approach the Government House and submit an ultimatum for the troops to pull out of the compound by 6 pm.
Eventually, they cancelled the plan to break in the compound and returned to the Phan Fah Bridge after Suporn told them that they should resevre their strenght for another march Sunday to the 11th Infantry Regiment.
