In the North, the party's stronghold, supporters not only vowed to continue supporting the party "ideology", but also wanted founder and former leader Thaksin Shinawatra's shoes to be filled by his wife, Khunying Pojaman.

But some supporters in the Northeast distanced themselves from the party.

Phromsak Saenpo, chairman of Northern Grassroots People's Network, said the Tribunal's decision had not shaken their confidence and all 20,000 members in the network were still firmly for Thaksin.

Phromsak said the network wanted Pojaman to lead the new party to be set up - because she was the only candidate directly connected to Thaksin. "If Pojaman took the position the decision-making process would be easier, because she is his direct representative," he explained.

Phromsak said that although former party executives had not welcomed his proposal - saying Pojaman lacked political shrewdness compared to other candidates for the post - his network would meet with other people's groups to muster support for the former premier's wife.

The proposal to make Pojaman leader of the new party came amid rumours that former Thai Rak Thai executives would ask General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to take the post.

"For grassroots people, Gen Chavalit is not the right person. We're afraid he will make the situation worse," Phromsak said.

In Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng district, Thaksin's home-town, residents were disappointed with the ruling but remained peaceful.

Montri Jiranantraporn, a vendor at the San Kamphaeng market, said the country had lost high quality politicians due to the Tribunal's decision.

In the northeastern province of Udon Thani, radio host Kwanchai Praipana, a founder of the Rak Udon Group that has often publicly criticised the Council for National Security (CNS) and the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), said he was in a difficult position.

"Many have misunderstood that Rak Udon Group is the latest political tool of Thaksin, but we are not. Everything we did was for the sake of the nation; we just do not believe in Sondhi [Limthongkul, a PAD leader]," Kwanchai said.

Attharit Singlor, deputy secretary-general of the Caravan of the Poor, a people's movement that had supported Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai, yesterday distanced his movement from the party. "We will not mobilise these days as we have nothing to do with Thai Rak Thai. We will simply wait for the new government to solve farmers' problems."