The agreement came after senior editors of the Nation Media Group met representatives of Caravan of the Poor in tense negotiations as the protesters blocked all entrances to company headquarters on Bang Na-Trat Road.

Jakrit Permpoon, a senior editor, told the crowd that the daily will cease publishing for two more days in addition to three days as earlier announced. However, the additional days will fall on April 8-9.

Jakrit said that the newspaper and the reporter who interviewed Sondhi Limthongkul, a leader of People's Alliance for Democracy, confirmed that Sondhi had really made the statement along that line.

The Thai-language daily had earlier announced that it would stop publishing for three days, starting from Friday, and that the editor of Kom Chad Luek and the reporter who wrote the controversial news story have already submitted their resignations to take responsibility.

However the protesters of Caravan of the Poor were not satisfied and staged a noisy protest in front of The Nation office.

The stand-off started when protesters arrived en masse in vans and pickups at 10am. They used their vehicles to block Bang Na-Trat Road and erected three tents as shelters.

The demonstration caused heavy traffic jams and police sealed off the road and diverted traffic to other streets.

About 200 policemen were deployed at the Nation Media Group's offices to provide security, and barricades were erected at the entrance.

In the morning, the demonstrators demanded that the journalist who reported the news story deemed lese majeste explain himself to the crowd.

A protest leader demanded through a loudspeaker that the reporter who interviewed Manager Media founder Sondhi Limthongkul should surrender to protesters and tell them what Sondhi had really said.

The protesters said that some of Sondhi's remarks as published in Kom Chad Luek last week were controversial. However Sondhi later denied he had made such statements, saying the newspaper had not fully reported his comments.

The protesters came out in force despite Kom Chad Luek's decision to cease publishing for three days, starting today, to show its responsibility and remorse for the controversial report.

Earlier the newspaper issued an apology for the offending report and its editor, Korkhet Chantalertlak, submitted his resignation. The paper also submitted an appeal for a royal pardon to the Office of His Majesty's Principal Secretary.

Initial negotiations between senior Nation Media Group editors and protest leaders failed to convince the demonstrators to disperse.

The protest leaders demanded that the editor resign not only from the paper, but also from the news profession. They vowed to continue the protest until a royal pardon is issued.

"The reporter should surrender himself to the protesters and say what Sondhi Limthongkul said that day. The reporter should confirm that his reporting is accurate and that Sondhi really said that," a protester said through a loudspeaker.

The Nation believes that the protesters' real target is not Kom Chad Luek, but rather Sondhi, and that they want the reporter to implicate the Manager Media founder.

Thepchai Yong, group editor of Nation Multimedia, said: "The Kom Chad Luek newspaper is punishing itself for the mistake by ceasing publication for three days."

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Kom Chad Luek said its editorial department reaffirmed its full allegiance to the Monarchy and would loyally uphold Royal power, as it has always done in its reporting.

The Nation