Some senior military figures have been annoyed by Thaksin's movement in neighbouring coutnries over the past months and believed that his quietly masterminding anti-CNS activities from these places.

According to the source, a senior CNS officer ha suggested that the government confiscate Thaksin's passport altogether if he continue with his alleged political activities from abroad even after his diplomatic passport has been revoked.

It was not clear as to how revoking Thaksin's diplomatic passport could curb his alleged activities because the places that has been visiting grant free entry to ordinary Thai citizens, according to the source.

Reportedly, members of the Thai Rak Thai Party had met the ousted premier in Hong Kong last month to plot a series of disturbances in the country to discredit the CNS.

Deputy Foreign Ministry's spokesman Kitattikhun Chartprasert said the ministry maintain the same stance that permits Thaksin to travel under diplomatic passport in line with past practices.

However, said Kiattikhun, the matter could be reconsidered "if new development pertaining to his issue surfaced".

For the past several weeks, Thaksin has made headlines in Hong Kong, Indonesia and China, where he claimed to go shopping and visiting friends, by using his diplomatic passport. Now he is still travelling in China.

According to various government sources, there have been clear links through Thaksin's supporters and former Cabinet ministers and the underground political activities, commonly referred to as "undercurrent", aimed at destabilising the government.

According to the source, the government will issue the order after the assessment of planned anti-government rally scheduled on 10 December.

The source said cancelling Thaksin's diplomatic passport was an important gesture to show the world that he no longer represent Thailand in any capacity.

The Thai Embassy in London will be instructed to issue a new ordinary passport, pending the ministry's approval, he said.

The Nation has learned that with the order, Thaksin's current passport will expire on the midnight of 31 December 2006.

Thaksin has a five-year multiply entry visa to Britain. He can stay in Britain each time for not more than 160 days. There were rumours that he plans to apply for a political asylum in Britain but so far he has not exhibited a strong case that he could be prosecuted unfairly by the interim government.

The rest of Thaksin cabinet members have already submitted their diplomatic passports to the Foreign Ministry for ordinary ones in the past months. As a former prime minister, Thaksin automatically is eligible for the privilege. But the right to revoke this special passport rest with the Thai government, which has the authority over all passports issued to Thai citizens.

The Nation