Thai PM says considering lifting emergency rule

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said on Friday he was considering ending the emergency rule imposed this week after it failed to lead to the eviction of thousands of protesters occupying his official compound.

"Yes, I am thinking about that," Samak replied to a reporter, when asked if he would lift the order putting Bangkok under a state of emergency.

The army has said it would not use force to remove the protesters. "That people have resisted following the order gives the law a bad name," Samak said, adding he would discuss it with the agencies involved in "a couple of days" before making a decision.

Samak put the army commander in charge of keeping order in the capital after long-running anti-government protests culminated in violent clashes in the early hours of September 2.

(Reporting by Pracha Hariraksapitak; Writing by Nopporn Wong-Anan; Editing by Alan Raybould)