A man identified by police as one of the leaders of anti-government protests in Thailand has been shot dead.

Violence erupted as demonstrators in Bangkok tried to block early voting for an election next week.

Piya Utayo, a spokesman for Thailand's national police, identified the dead man as Suthin Taratin.

"At least five other people were injured," he said.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has called elections for 2 February in an attempt to defuse protests that have dragged on since November and which have flared occasionally into violence.