Ministers also cancel Chiang Mai trips

Red shirts from the provinces of Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae and Nan joined the rally that started from Chiang Mai municipality sports stadium to the city moats, went on to Tha Pae gate and ended at the Sam Kasat Monument.

The Chiang Mai Lover 51 Group, who are known to be avid Thaksin supporters, did not turn up.

Peerapol Morakot, a protest leader, said the rally was a show of force but it would not resort to violence. Army specialist Maj-General Khattiya Sawatdipol and Pheu Thai Party MP Sunai Chulapongsathorn were to take the rally stage to give speeches at Chiang Mai Provincial hall in the evening.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul and Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai cancelled their plans to give speeches at the Thai Chamber of Commerce's annual conference at Le Meridien Hotel in Chiang Mai, fearing the red-shirt protest would disrupt the meeting.

Interior Ministry deputy permanent secretary Wiboon Sanguanpong and Commerce Ministry deputy permanent secretary Krisda Piumpongsan were assigned to give speeches on their behalf.

Despite the cancellation of the visits by the PM and his two ministers, police yesterday maintained heavy security in Chiang Mai, setting up many checkpoints on highways leading to the city to scrutinise protesters who were travelling to join the protest.

Pol Colonel Bancha Settakorn, superintendent of Mae Tha district police station in Lamphun, said police strictly checked the protesters for arms and illegal items, but did not find any.

The chamber of commerce meeting at Le Meridien went off without any protest by the red shirts. About 30 police were deployed to keep security there. The Chiang Mai Lover 51 Group gathered outside Grand Warorot Palace hotel and announced that they would monitor the situation. If Abhisit or any minister turned up, they would mobilise protesters to oust them immediately.

Meanwhile, security has been stepped up for Abhisit, who put on soft armour to perform his official duty in Bangkok yesterday.

Security officials were deployed to guard the PM, who was joining forces with students, volunteers and soldiers to clean up the city moats near Sanam Luang. Some officials went up to high buildings to safeguard him.

Abhisit wore a T-shirt on top of soft armour. He said there had not been reports of any incidents after the Internal Security Act went into effect yesterday, the first day. The Cabinet would decide tomorrow whether to revoke the security law. He said there was nothing to worry as of now.