Surayud was speaking at a press conference after meeting with top Council of National Security members, including Gen Sonthi Bunyaratglin, Gen Winai Phattiyakul and Boonrawd Somtas at the Government House for about an hour.

[See our columnist's blog on the latest coup rumours]

"The situation could not be trusted for now. Within one or two months there could possibly be more chaos. The public should be on alert," he said without further elaboration.

Moreover he quoted Gen Sonthi as saying that the CNS will inform the public beforehand about its mobilisation and rotations of troopers so that the public would not be misinformed or panic.

More dissemination of the army activities will help prevent ill-wished people from distorting the information and disseminating rumours, Surayud said.

 "Gen Sonthi promises that the public would be informed of the mobilisation and rotation of troopers so that they would not get panic or believe rumours from ill-intention people," he said.

Rumours swept the capital and the country on Thursday night after many people saw army military trucks loaded with troopers admist unconfirmed reports that some powerful and influential groups of people tried to stage coup.

The rumours forced people to go home early. Many offices told their employees to leave the office and directly go home.

The panic and rumours came as series of fatal bombings hit the capital in the New Year's Eve, killing three and injuring some 40 others.

Surayud said the rumours could be linked to the bomb attacks on December 31, 2006.

The Nation