The yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy is seeking to hold a gathering in the parliament compound.
PAD spokesman Parnthep Pourpongpan said yesterday he had submitted a letter to Parliament President Somsak Kiatsuranont asking him to allow the group to stage a peaceful rally in the grounds of parliament.
The move came after parliament rejected a PAD request that 200 of its members be allowed to attend a meeting yesterday of 35 House committees discussing the plan to move the reconciliation bills to the top of the House agenda.
Mr Parnthep said the secretariat of the House would allow only 40-50 PAD members to attend because of limited space in the meeting room.
As a result, the PAD decided to ask parliament if it could hold a gathering in the parliament compound instead, Mr Parnthep said.
He said the PAD was following the example of supporters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship who once staged a rally in the premises of parliament on April 7, 2010.
Mr Parnthep said parliament would probably expedite the process to scrutinise the four reconciliation bills through three straight readings. If that happens, the PAD would raise the level of their protest to oust Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from power.
The PAD protesters returned home last night and will resume their protest outside parliament at 6am today.
The protesters were told by the alliance's leaders to bring tear gas masks with them to prepare for their rally today.
The multi-coloured protesters who gathered at the nearby Pichai intersection were due to resume their protest at 5am today.
An army source said army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha had stressed that the army would not get involved in crowd control operations, which are mainly the responsibility of the police.
Police can ask soldiers to support their security operations, although requests for assistance must go through formal written letters, not verbally as has happened in the past.
The source said the authority to deploy soldiers to help deal with protests rests solely with Supreme Commander Thanasak Patimapakorn. This is in line with a Defence Ministry regulation issued in 2002.
The source said the Supreme Commander and armed forces chiefs agreed the military would distance itself from security operations and leave the matter to police.
The ministry regulation is intended to protect the military from any possible adverse repercussions stemming from security operations handling protesters, the source said.
National police chief Priewpan Damapong yesterday ordered nine companies of officers to secure parliament.
Three rows of concrete barriers and razor wires were put up yesterday in front of parliament near Pichai intersection where the multi-coloured group gathered.
Concrete barricades and razor wire were also erected near Uthong Nai intersection where the yellow-shirt PAD protesters staged their rally.
Pol Gen Priewpan did not believe the demonstrations would turn violent.