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Undercover police from the Bhumjaithai party's Isan strongholds were on duty in Pattaya policing the recent red shirt demonstration , Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat admitted yesterday.

He was speaking in response to Puea Thai MP Chalerm Yubamrung's accusation that police officers from northeastern provinces were deployed to mingle with blue shirt protesters in Pattaya on April 11.

The blue shirts clashed with the red shirts, before the latter group stormed the venue of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, which was being held in the resort town.

The red shirts cited the blue shirts' attack on them as the reason they cranked up their actions, which forced the summit's cancellation and regional leaders to be airlifted to safety.

Mr Boonjong, who is a member of the Friends of Newin faction, did not acknowledge there were plain-clothes police officers with the blue shirts, who he was told were local people.

However, it was true that there were police officers deployed from Bhumjaithai's political strongholds - Buri Ram, Surin and Si Sa Ket - to be on standby at Suvarnabhumi airport to prevent any attempts by the protesters to seize the airport, he said.

"There was a request from Pattaya for additional forces", he said, adding that four cars of police officers left the airport for the summit venue.

But those police were unarmed and were on standby. Police from other provinces were also deployed to protest sites such as Government House, he said.

Blue shirt protesters said they gathered to show their opposition to the red shirts.

Mr Boonjong also defended the Interior Ministry's controversial move to hand out blue shirts to local people.

The action was not intended to deepen the political divide among the Thais. The colour blue represents both a national symbol of His Majesty the King and the ministry, he said.

It is also Bhumjaithai's signature colour. Mr Boonjong rebuffed an allegation that it was an effort to promote the party.