The Thai government has invoked the internal security act (ISA) to deal with planned anti-government protests in central Bangkok after a series of violent rallies rocked the capital city in recent years.

A government official said that the cabinet has decided to issue the ISA for ten days in three inner districts of the capital.

The security law enables the government to prevent the use of certain routes or vehicles, impose a curfew, ban gatherings and carry out searches of buildings, according to the official.

The decision was made in the context that the Thai People's Army, a newly-formed coalition of ultra-royalist groups who oppose the Puea Thai ruling party and exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has vowed to protest in Bangkok on August 4, possibly for several days.

It is targeting a government-backed bill, due to be introduced in parliament on August 7 which would propose an amnesty for those involved in several bouts of political violence that have rocked the nation since a 2006 coup toppled Thaksin.

The government estimated that there will be a large number of protesters from the camps both 'for' and 'against' the bill, so to prevent them from confrontation it has to invoke the special security law, Paradorn Pattanatabut, secretary-general of the National Security Council, said.

Two months of mass opposition protests in 2010 by "Red Shirt" supporters of Thaksin sparked a wave of violence that left about 90 people dead and nearly 1,900 wounded.-VNA