Published by Mark Smith-HalvorsenThe Thai baht has tumbled in foreign exchange trading this morning (May 17th) as clashes between the military and anti-government protesters continue in Bangkok.Risk management strategists also pulled out of Thai stocks and sent bond yields higher as the crisis deepened. At least 36 people have died in the riots so far.Speaking to Bloomberg, Sasikorn Charoensuwan, head of research of Phillip Securities (Thailand), commented: "The political unrest has severely affected the economy and consumer confidence this quarter, hurting earnings of companies such as banks and property developers."Protesters are occupying an area of central Bangkok the size of New York's Central Park. The military was called in to disperse the 'red shirts' last week and have openly fired on the crowd.Among those killed was Major-General Khattiya Sawisdipol, an active-duty soldier who was supporting protesters.There are now concerns that the violence will spread to rural areas, where most of the protesters live.For more information on foreign exchange treasury services and risk management, visit our Corporate FX site