Up to 1,500 supporters of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra gathered in his north-eastern stronghold on Sunday as part of a protest campaign to topple the government, police and organisers said. The group known as the Red Shirts have vowed to take their movement across the kingdom until they force out new Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who they accuse of being a puppet of the powerful army.
Police said about 1,500 protesters, most dressed in red, had gathered on the main streets of Khon Kaen, a town in the north-east region where Thaksin drew the bulk of his support with policies targeting the rural poor.
"They are listening to speeches from their leaders. Everything is under control, there is no violence," said Major General Pattanee Siriwatanee, chief of the provincial Khon Kaen police.
Thaksin, who lives in exile abroad to avoid a jail term back home, addressed the rally by phone in the evening and criticised Abhisits handling of the economic crisis, said regional protest leader Kwanchai Sarakam.
"We told Thaksin to stay away, not to come back to Thailand at this time - wait until we Red Shirts chase away the government by the end of this month. We want him to look after himself and stay healthy," he told AFP.
"We will have a big gathering in Bangkok... on March 27." Thailand remains polarized between supporters and detractors of Thaksin, and the deep rift has been playing out on the streets since early last year.
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