Govt 'to avoid clashes,' protect airport

Meanwhile, some 2,000 people dressed in blue, consisting of police and troops plus health volunteers, gathered at a building at Suvarnabhumi yesterday in case an effort is made to seize the airport.

The authorities would try their best to avoid clashes between protesters and security forces, sources said.

Chief government whip Chinnaworn Boonyakiat said urged ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra to avoid causing further social division by improperly mentioning royal advisers in his phone-ins.

Tens of thousands of pro-Thaksin protesters surrounded Government House yesterday and planned to camp there "until the government leaves office", rally leaders said.

Thaksin phoned in shortly after 8pm last night. He said he would "tell it all" about his political enemies when he calls again tonight. Earlier, he claimed Privy Councillor and former PM General Surayud Chulanont and some top judges were behind the 2006 coup that overthrew his government.

He also complained about "double standards" in politics.

Thaksin, who said he was in an African country, spoke for just about 10 minutes in a link that sounded scratchy.

Jatuporn Phrompan, an MP from the opposition Pheu Thai Party and one of the protest leaders, said Thaksin would address supporters every night for half an hour via a video-link system.

He said the rally and Thaksin's phone-ins would continue until the government leaves office. He claimed broadcast signals of the pro-Thaksin D Station satellite TV were being obstructed.

Government sources said most protesters came from Bangkok and surrounding areas. Provincial authorities admitted they had failed to block red shirts from their provinces. Deputy PM Suthep Thaugsuban earlier threatened action against governors and police chiefs who failed to block protesters from their provinces, the sources said.

Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul described the protest as worrying. He said a report estimated the crowd had surged to about 30,000.

Chaovarat could not predict how long it would last. He said police were closely monitoring the rally after threats to protest at other government agencies, including the new airport.