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Suraita Tohlee, a Songkhla village leader who opposes the construction of the Thai Malaysian gas pipeline, said the group had made the decision to express strong support for the PAD rally.

"We will send our villagers to join the PAD gatherings both at Had Yai railway station and in Bangkok," she said.

"We want to oust Prime Minister Samak Sundravej because of his policy to amend the Constitution and also his intention to help [former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra] while not showing concern for the real problems of the Thai people. We cannot let him put more pain on our country any more," the villagers said.

In Loei province, Dr Kriangsak Watcharanukulkiat, a director of Phu Kradung Hospital, held press conference on behalf of the chairman of the Rural Doctor Association (RDA) to express its support for the PAD rally.

"We disagree with the government's policy to treat the protesters violently. If so, doctors under the umbrella of RDA will be ready to travel to Bangkok to help take care of those injured protesters," he said.

"We consider PM Samak's Cabinet has performed badly in tackling the people's problems and is rather dictatororiented despite winning a democratic election," stated Kriangsak.

"This Cabinet is the reason for the PAD's rally and we urge people nationwide to join this important political movement as well as expressing our rejection of any violent practice against protesters by the state," he said.

In Trang, the high demand for political news among local consumers had raised the sale of newspapers, magazines and satellite dishes up by 10 per cent, said local businessmen.  

"Sales have risen, especially for those daily and weekly papers reporting on politics," said a local bookstore owner Somchai Intarasangkhanawin.

"Sales of satellite dishes were slow until the PAD rally. Trang people are naturally interested in political information," local satellite dish distributor Panya Hanchaiwat said.