Thaksin's phone-in in doubt

Jatuporn Promphan, a leader of the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship, said at 5 pm that the organiser of the rally was still racing against the time to set up the public addressing system and internal broadcast system so that Thaksin could make phone-in.

Jatuporn said if the systems could not be set up in time, Thaksin's phone-in would be postponed to at 7:30 pm or 8 pm Friday.

Initially, Thaksin was scheduled to make a phone-in to the rally at 7 pm Thursday.

Jatuporn was speaking to reporters after he and other DAAD leaders led some 25,000 red-shirted protesters to surround the Government House Thursday afternoon in what was proclaimed to be their "last battle" to bring down the Democrat-led government.

At about 7 pm, the number of protesters grew to over 30,000.

The scenes of protesters moving from Sanam Luang and surrounding Government House was a deja vu, only with the dominant colours changing from yellow to red. 

And in a cruel mockery of the Abhisit government they want to overthrow, the red-shirted protesters donated some of the Bt2,000 government gift cheques to protest organisers to promote their causes. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva presided over the cash handout, intended as part of a combined welfare/stimulus programme in front of the City Hall earlier in the day.

At 3:20 pm, some 25,000 protesters led by Pheu Thai MP Natthawut Saikua and other leaders, managed to move in to surround both the front and back parts of the Government House complex.

Police, guarded the areas around the complex, gave in and moved inside the compound, allowing the protesters to move in to surround the Government House.

Security officers used chains to lock all gates of the Government House to prevent the protesters from breaking in. There were no signs of violence and protest leaders repeatedly claimed there was no intention to invade and take control of Government House.

The protesters began their march from Sanam Luang to the Government House at 12:45 pm Thursday.

Their leaders, Jaral Disthachai, Natthawut, and Jakrapob Penkair, travelled in a car that was leading the march.

At 1:31 pm, the head of the procession reached the Pan Fah Bridge and they protesters paused briefly to reshape the procession.

Some of the protesters also gathered at the Makkhawan Bridge to wait for the procession.

At 1:30 pm, many protesters gathered outside the Government House on the side of Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge.

Government House officials were instructed to leave the compound once the some of the protesters arrived ahead of the main procession.

The officials left the compound through the Orathai Gate on Nang Lerng Road.

At 1:38 pm, about 100 motorcyclists reached and seized control of the Uthong Road near the Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge.

They blocked the road from Makkhawan Bridge until the Misakawan Intersection.

They also honked their horns once they reached the Uthong Road.

At 1:50 pm, the main procession of the red-shirted demonstrators reached the Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge and Natthawut led the protesters to move past barricade to occupy the road on the canal side, which is outside the Command Building 2.

At 3 pm, Natthawut ordered a protester to man a crane truck to remove the containers from the road along the Prem Prachakorn Canal outside the Government House. The containers were dumped into the canal.

Nearly at the same time, the protesters blocked a military truck from entering the Government House compound to supply lunch to soldiers deployed to keep security inside the Government House.

They shouted that the soldiers should be let to starve inside the compound.

The protesters cheered when the truck backed off.