The clappers for Banharn

More than 200 PAD supporters with hand-clappers targeted Chart Thai Party leader Banharn Silpa-archa and the party's deputy leader, Agriculture Minister Somsak Prissanananthakul, when they visited Kamphaeng Phet province's Mueang district yesterday.

They also shouted anti-government messages and carried placards with messages denouncing last week's police crackdown on PAD-affiliated protesters outside Parliament.

Banharn and Somsak were attending the opening ceremony of a new community to grow food plants and energy crops.

The noisy protest by the PAD supporters irritated some local residents who were attending the function. They argued with the protesters and some even began to throw shoes at them.

Police had to intervene to prevent a possible clash. The protesters were asked to move some 200 metres from the site but continued their noisy protest.

Somsak said he had known beforehand about the protest and the PAD supporters had the right to hold their protests as long as they did not violate other people's rights.

Meanwhile the PAD plans to sue the government and demand Bt1-billion damages for destruction caused during the violent crackdown, Somkiart Pongpaiboon, one of the group's core leaders, said yesterday.

"The person who gave the suppression order must be punished," he said.