The Democrats said Thaksin's promise - made during his weekly radio programme on Saturday - of spending such money was a violation of election laws.

Party deputy spokesman Sathit Pitutecha said the premier was trying to make the promise of spending money sound like normal government policy rather than electioneering.

"He [Thaksin] is offering hope to poor people through deception in order to improve his chances in the upcoming election. He wants to return as prime minister," said Sathit.

"We want to ask Thaksin whether he could solve the poverty problems by using money. And could the irrigation systems nationwide be improved as promised?"

He said this policy has been repeated since the last government but it had still not become reality. This means the premier's words were just giving false hope to people, he said.

Democrat executive Kiat Sittheeamorn said the truth is that the government did not have this kind of money to spend.

"We want to know where the money will come from," he said, adding that the country is carrying a heavy financial burden because the government had borrowed a lot of money from abroad.

Kiat called on Thaksin to explain the government's economic figures after it was found that the country's trade deficit with China was Bt70 billion, rather than the Bt16 billion that Thaksin had said.

The country's debt had also increased while its revenue had not. So the economy had not grown as Thaksin said it had, Kiat said.