THAKSIN SUPPORTERS BEGINS SIEGE OF GOVERNMENT HOUSE

BANGKOK, March 26 (Bernama) -- Thousands of supporters of ousted prime
minister Thaksin Shinawatra laid siege to the Government House Thursday in
another desperate attempt to force out the three-month-old government of Abhisit
Vejjajiva.

The red-shirt clad protesters, armed with foot-clappers, marched from Sanam
Luang several kilometres away to the seat of the kingdom's administration, six
days after Thaksin's ally in the Puea Thai party failed to garner enough support
for their no confidence motion against Abhisit in Parliament.

The United Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (UDAD) supporters
organised a similar demonstration a month ago at Government House and are hoping
to stay longer around the Prime Minister's Office complex.

Abhisit, who avoided coming to his office Thursday, has vowed not to impose
a state of emergency in the capital to deal with the protesters, and instead
ordered about 10,000 police and soldiers to guard the Government House and stop
them from seizing the complex as was done by the anti-Thaksin movement, the
People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in August last year.

Speaking from a makeshift stage on a truck, UDAD leader Natthawut Saikua
said the protesters would remain there until Abhisit resigns, but denied they
were planning to seize the premier's office.

Thaksin, who is living in exile, is expected to address the crowd via a
video-link phone-in tonight, similar to several calls he had made in the past
weeks to his supporters in his stronghold in the north and northeast provinces.

He had claimed that Privy Council President General Prem Tinsulanonda and
other privy councillors were involved in the military coup in September, 2006,
that ousted him.

Earlier, UDAD leaders had claimed that their supporters from upcountry were
being blocked by authorities from travelling to the capital.

The protesters are demanding that the government dissolve the parliament and
call for a fresh election, as they claimed that Abhisit had no legitimacy. He
came to power after Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat had to relinquish
his premiership following a court decision to ban his People's Party Power last
December.
Thursday's protest came as the military-backed Abhisit continues to tighthen
his grip on power, handing out cheques worth 2,000 baht each to 7.5 million
people who earn less than 15,000 baht a month under a stimulus package to deal
with the economic crisis.

The government had estimated that over one million Thais would be unemployed
by end of the year, mostly due to the drastic drop in exports to its main
market, the United States and Europe.
-- BERNAMA