Bangkok hotel under fire, guests shelter in basement

A luxury hotel facing a protest site in Bangkok came under gunfire early on Monday and a loud blast was heard, prompting guests to shelter in the basement, according to an AFP journalist inside.

A luxury hotel facing a protest site in Bangkok came under gunfire early on Monday and a loud blast was heard, prompting guests to shelter in the basement, according to an AFP journalist inside.

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"I was in bed. There was a big explosion very close to my room. I went out of the room, other people did too and at that moment the wall outside was hit by bullets," said AFP photographer Pedro Ugarte.

"We received a few phone calls (from hotel staff) and they said, 'Come down you are under attack'. Everybody is now in the basement, about 100 people," he said by telephone from the Dusit Thani hotel where the incident occurred.