THOUSANDS OF PROTESTERS IN BANGKOK FOR SHOWDOWN

BANGKOK, April 8 (Bernama) -- Thousands of red-shirt protesters arrived in
the capital for their showdown with the government, as tension rose after an
attack on Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's motorcade on Tuesday and revelation
of a plot to kill a member of the powerful Privy Council.

Hundreds of buses carrying supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin
Shinawatra made their way to the capital from the north and northeast where
backing for him remained strong due to his populist policies dished out during
his five-year reign from 2001 to 2006.

Authorities have mobilised several thousand policemen and soldiers to secure
key government buildings, as protesters continued to lay siege to the Government
House which has been blocked since March 26 by the red-shirt supporters of
United Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (UDAD).

Despite assurance by both government and UDAD leaders that the D-Day would
not turn violent, Tuesday's attack on Abhisit's motorcade has raised the alarm.

He had to switch cars when protesters attacked his car while he was leaving
after a Cabinet meeting in Pattaya.

Bangkok Police Chief Maj Gen Worapong Chiewpreecha told reporters that the
police were worried that a third party would incite violence, following the
arrest of an army major and three hitmen alleged to be involved in a plot to
kill Privy Councillor Chanchai Likhitjittha.

The former president of the Supreme Court was accused by Thaksin of being
part of the plot that ousted him in the Sept 19, 2006, coup.

UDAD leader Jatuporn Promphan said the protesters would start their march at
noon, targeting several key locations, among them the Privy Council president
and former prime minister Prem Tinsulanonda's house. Prem was accused by Thaksin
in his daily speech via telephone, of masterminding the coup.

Besides the dissolution of Parliament and Prem's exit, the UDAD also wants
the government to dissolve the current constitution drafted by the military
regime in 2007 and replace it with the 1997 Constitution, as well as prosecute
the rival yellow shirt of People's Democracy for Alliance (PAD) for seizing
Bangkok's two major airports in November.

But many believe the the main bargaining point demanded by Thaksin is for
the lifting of the five-year ban on his former party's 111 executives, as well
as the return of almost Bt70 billion baht of his asset frozen by the former
military government.

The protest is taking place as the government prepares to hold the East
Asian Summit in Pattaya beginning Friday, but Foreign Ministry officials said so
far there had been no withdrawal by any of the 15 countries taking part.
-- BERNAMA