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BANGKOK: About 90,000 supporters of exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra gathered in a Bangkok stadium Saturday to await his audio address, raising fears of clashes with rival protesters.
Clad in red shirts signalling their pro-government and pro-Thaksin stance, fans of the ousted ex-PM began arriving at Rajamangala sports stadium in Bangkok's eastern outskirts early in the morning.
The former premier, who fled to Britain in early August following his wife's conviction for tax evasion, was due to telephone the rally from an undisclosed location abroad at 1300GMT.
Special Branch police said only a few seats remained empty at the sports ground.
"I think the number of crowd is maximum 90,000," an officer, who would not be named, said.
An army colonel told AFP that more than 2,000 troops were on standby in case the police required their assistance.
Jatuporn Prompan, an MP from the ruling People Power Party (PPP), said earlier that 100,000 people were expected to show up to hear the former premier speak.
Jatuporn told AFP Thaksin "will speak for an unlimited time on whatever topic he wants."
It will be Thaksin's first address to supporters since leaving the kingdom and being sentenced in absentia on October 21 to two years in jail for violating corruption laws.
Thai society is split between those who love or loathe the twice-elected multi-millionaire.
His fans, calling themselves the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), come mostly from the country's majority rural poor and say they are upholding democracy.
His detractors, represented by the anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), have occupied the grounds of the prime minister's offices since August calling for the government to step down.
They claim the PPP, which was elected in December last year, is running the country on behalf of Thaksin, whom they accuse of corruption and nepotism.
PAD protests in early 2006 helped lead to the coup that unseated Thaksin later that year. The return to power of his allies angered the PAD and the old military and bureaucratic power elite in the palace.
Crowds of PAD supporters descended on the British embassy on Thursday to demand Britain extradites Thaksin, who still faces trial on many other corruption charges.
Thailand's current prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat -- Thaksin's brother-in-law -- has been under increasing pressure to resign since bloody clashes on October 7 between PAD supporters and police left two people dead and nearly 500 others injured.
On Thursday further violence left two volunteer PAD security guards in a critical condition after a hand grenade was tossed at one of their protest camps in front of the regional UN headquarters in Bangkok.
A grenade was also thrown at a judge's house and a man was found shot dead near the rally site.
Somchai, visiting Chiang Mai, told reporters he was concerned about clashes between protesters on Saturday and urged both sides to be peaceful.
"I worry a third party could exploit the situation so I ask both sides to be extremely cautious... Our country has already suffered a lot," he said.
PAD organiser Suriyasai Katasila said the group would not confront the pro-government rally.
"The PAD will not move from its stronghold at Government House to confront the UDD. The PAD has stepped up security measures to the maximum," Suriyasai wrote on the group's website.
"PAD will monitor closely the phone-in by Thaksin," he added.
- AFP/ir
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