Thaksin urges supporters to back Phue Thai

He made the phone call to the rally of the Pheu Thai at the Bamphen Nua Temple in Bangkok's Min Buri district in the morning, hours after he made a phone call to address the Pheu Thai rally in Ayutthaya on Saturday night.

Many red-shirted people took part in the "Pheu Thai Meets the People" rally at the temple during which the people could apply for party membership and air their grievances and opinions to the party.

While the Pheu Thai leading members were holding a press conference about the rally in front of the crowd, Thaksin called the mobile phone of Wicharn Minchaiyanant, a Pheu Thai Bangkok MP.

He addressed his supporters for about five minutes.

Thaksin said he would like to thank Min Buri and Klong Samwa residents for voting for two Pheu Thai MPs.

The former prime minister said he had a lot of concern for Thailand's economic situation.

Thaksin also thanked Pheu Thai MPs for remaining with the party and continuing to support him.

"I would like to thank you all for taking care of the people so that I could return to serve the people again," Thaksin said.

"I hope that the leading Pheu Thai members and the people will continue to support Pheu Thai MPs because these people will fight for justice for me and fight for true democracy for the people.

"I will keep wandering until I can return home."

On Saturday, Thaksin made a phone call to address the crowd at the Mobile Truth Today rally at the main stadium of Ayutthaya province at 8.15pm.

During the phone-in, Thaksin said it would be difficult for Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij to tackle "hard and complicated" economic problems.

He said when Abhisit and Korn returned from London, "their heads would be swollen because they will not be able to solve the economic problems. The problems will be difficult and complicated".

Sathit Pitucha, a Democrat Party executive, said Thaksin should stop trying to discredit the government by making phone calls and by campaigning through the foreign media.

He said Thaksin had been doing so because he was seeking political power and would like to topple the government.

Sathit said Thaksin would like to restore his regime as soon as possible because he feared the Abhisit government would be able to tackle the economic problems and prompt the people to stop supporting him.