Standing in a big crowd, a woman ticked off a name as a man standing beside her handed out two Bt1,000 notes to another woman in a red shirt. Others in the queue were heard shouting out their names.
Although the Senate voted yesterday to impeach former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama on charges related to his involvement in the Preah Vihear Temple controversy, the ballot fell short of the 90 votes needed to punish him.
Most of the mainstream mass media may be very concerned about possible violence from red-shirt protesters, but those subscribing to red-shirt media were getting starkly different news and analysis as they began their massive rally yesterday.
Government officials and their opponents yesterday released contradictory information on former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's whereabouts, with the former saying he had left Dubai for Cambodia and the latter claiming he was still in the emirate.
The United Arab Emirates will likely ask ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra to find a new home on the ground that he has abused his exile to attack on Thailand, Vice Foreign Minister Panich Vikitsreth said on Friday.
The red shirts will Friday niight start to erect their main stage at Phan Fah Bridge and rally speeches will commence at noon Saturday coinciding with the arrivals of protesters, rally organiser Natthawut Saikua said on Friday.
The red shirts in the capital will voluntarily disperse by 5.00 pm Friday before regrouping for the mass rally on Sunday, rally organiser Jatuporn Promphan said.
The line of communications between the government and the red shirts has been activated, Korbsak Sabhavasu, secretary general to the prime minister, said on Friday.
Although the Senate voted on Friday to impeach former foreign minister Noppadon Patama on charges related to his involvement in the Preah Vihear Temple controversy, its votes falled short of 90 votes needed to punish him.
First Army Area commander Lt Gen Kanit Sapithak on Friday voiced concern about the security risk at Wang Noi district, Ayutthaya, a main gateway to the capital.
There is no cause for panic because the authorities will exercise restraints and prevent the downward spiral of the situation into a civil war, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban said on Friday's morning.
The acting government spokesman and a leader of the red shirts promised on Thursday night their sides would not be the first to resort to violence in the street protests beginning on Friday.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday pledged to overcome the ongoing political volatility, control the situation through security measures and not allow a coup under any circumstances.
The Foreign Ministry has submitted a complaint to the United Arab Emirates, demanding that the country cease allowing convicted ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra to use it as a base for criticising Thailand.
With red-shirt demonstrators flooding towards Bangkok ahead of Sunday's mass demonstration, core leaders of the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship yesterday issued warnings and threatened retaliation against government efforts to deter them.
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