More than 100 former Thai Rak Thai MPs have agreed to join anti-government rallies, a coordinator of the Pro-Thaksin Anti-Dictatorship Group said yesterday.

Theerachai Saenkaew said most of the formers MPs were from northern and northeastern provinces.

The group has set a target of 60,000-70,000 protesters, he said.

Theerachai was speaking after a meeting with ex-Thai Rak Thai MPs at their former headquarters on Phetchaburi Road in Bangkok.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police estimated that up to 9,000 protesters from the provinces might join the anti-government rally in the capital today.

Metropolitan Police chief Lt-General Adisorn Nonsee said he had received reports that the protesters would start to leave the rally at Sanam Luang at around 10pm and return to their provinces.

Police will not block people from coming but will strictly inspect protesters for weapons, he said following a meeting with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the First Army Area Command on how to handle the protest.

Leaders of PTV, who are staging the rally, said they would bring more people to join the protest but would not move to other venues.

Adisorn said police had arrested two illegal immigrants at the rally on Thursday and would investigate whether they came by themselves or were paid to do so.

He said police officers had not prepared any measures to prevent the protesters from using bad language, but had filmed and recorded the speakers every day.

Meanwhile, Council for National Security chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said the media should take part in condemning those with ill intentions who lacked patriotism and caused rifts in society - instead of promoting them.

Sonthi and Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont have increased their media presence as part of a strategy to compete with the protesters for news coverage.

Surayud's recorded programme on the government's policies and plans for the next eight months is scheduled to air on television and radio tomorrow.

Supreme commander General Boonsrang Niumpradit said protesters should rally peacefully.

Thais should "keep their energy to fight with those who have bad intentions towards the country", he said.

Only peaceful discussions should take place, as the government has provided the opportunity by allowing political activities. Violence would only damage the country.

Aran Wonganan, director of the Domestic Public Relations Centre, said the Special Branch Police reported that anti-government protesters had hired labourers from provinces around Bangkok to join the rally.

The protesters usually left the rally about 8-9pm as they thought they had "completed their work".

They did not stay until the end because they did not share the ideology, he said.

Piyanart Srivalo,

Kesinee Jaikawang

The Nation