Coffin-burning and cursing rituals kick off Red Shirt protests in Bangkok; Bombs rock Surat Thani ahead of rally

Red-shirted anti-government protesters from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) gathered at strategic locations around the Thailand ready to start streaming toward central Bangkok.

Thai police estimates the total number of Red Shirts gathering at five major rally sites in Bangkok as not more than 10,000. Another estimate by the Metropolitan Police Bureau later in the afternoon reduced the number to 6,500.

According to media reports, about 2,000 of them gathered at the Laksi monument, 1,000 at the Wongwian Yai roundabout, 1,000 at the Bang Na intersection, 500 at Lumpini Park and 600 at the Din Daeng triangle.

Coffin-burning and cursing ceremonies took place at major rally sites, with UDD leaders presiding over the rituals and reading out cursing statements against the government and the military, The Nation reported.

In the Silom area, office workers were reported to be throwing empty plastic bottles from office buildings on a red-shirted crowd, which had gathered near the Bangkok Bank building.

The traffic was generally light during the first day of the rally as there was no report of violence. The red-shirted protesters voluntarily dispersed by 5:00 p.m., Friday after they marched by various routes in downtown Bangkok area.

They are planning to gather again at about 17:00 p.m., on Saturday at Ratchadamnoen Road, open-field Sanam Luang, and King Rama V Equestrian Monument in the center of the Thai capital.

The UDD set up its stage at Pan Fa Bridge on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue last night. Activities will begin this morning, said UDD leader Jatuporn Prompan said.

As the red shirt protesters in Bangkok dispersed, those in the provinces gathered en masse to start their long journey to Bangkok.

About 14,000 people left Chiang Mai with another 10,000 on the way from Udon Thani in the Northeast.

Sian Powell interviewed one of the UDD supporters for Times Online:

"Mam Angkana, a self-employed health food saleswoman said the huge rally planned for cenral Bangkok on Sunday would show the world exactly how much the current Thai Government is despised by ordinary Thais.

"I don't love this Government," Ms Angkana said, adding that it had done nothing for Thailand's poor. "I don't love this Prime Minister."

Ms Mam said she expected violence to erupt in Bangkok over the next few days. "The Redshirts only have handclappers but the Government has troops," she said. "Abhisit wants to kill people," she added, referring to Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. "He wants to kill Redshirts."

Meanwhile, the Thai Government, as a precautionary step, deployed 50,000 security personnel, including 30,000 from the army, 10,000 police officers and 10,000 civil defence volunteers to the streets and highways armed with water cannon, “sound wave” machines, tear gas, and batons to deter "unruly protesters," government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagom said.

"The government has deployed 50,000 police and troops, so confrontation is unavoidable," UDD leader Jatuporn Prompan said. "Those who have less patience will lose."

The demonstration to topple the Abhisit administration should not exceed seven days, Mr. Jatuporn said.

Five bombs exploded in the southern Thai province of Surat Thani Friday morning as the anti-government protesters began moving to the capital, MCOT reported.

No one was injured in the five incidents. The police said the bombs were detonated by mobile phones. Demolitions experts were inspecting two suspicious objects. It is believed that the bombs were aimed to create disturbance ahead of the mass demonstration.