Anti-government protesters made their presence felt in Thailand's national elections, forcing the closure of some polling stations in 13 of Bangkok's 33 constituencies, as the country's political crisis deepened.Voting ended at 08:00 GMT on Sunday but no results will be announced.Further voting is scheduled for February 23 after problems with advance polling last Sunday, while the ballot in some southern areas may not happen for weeks. The vast majority of voting stations were open and polling proceeded relatively peacefully, but the risk of violence remained high a day after gun battles in north Bangkok left seven people , Reports from Bangkok.

Thai protesters have vowed to stage larger rallies in central Bangkok and push ahead their efforts to nullify the results of elections held over the weekend despite disruption and protests. According to the national election commission, the voter turnout on Sunday was at least 46 percent. Despite fears of violence, voting proceeded peacefully in 90 percent of polling stations that were able to open. Protesters had forced polling booths to close in Bangkok and southern Thailand, disenfranchising registered voters. A series of by-elections are required to complete voting. Reports from Bangkok.