Songkhla governor Grisada Boonrach yesterday joined a convoy which led a rally of anti-government demonstrators to his own provincial hall in a show of protest against the government.
Mr Grisada is the first senior state official to come out and lead state officials and residents in joining the Civil Movement for Democracy (CMD), led by ex-Democrat Party MP Suthep Thaugsuban.
Upon arrival at the Songkhla provincial hall, Mr Grisada told police on duty to leave and do their jobs elsewhere, saying that as governor he would provide safety for the people.
Protesters besieged at least 31 provincial halls nationwide yesterday, including 14 in the southern region. They took over three in the North, five in the Central Plains, two in the West, two in the East, and five in the Northeast.
They vowed not to retreat until they received a signal from Mr Suthep.
In the South, the demonstrators converged on the main provincial offices in Trang, Phuket, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Chumphon, and Satun, but observers said they did not enter the buildings or damage state property. They occupied the compounds, awaiting further directions from Mr Suthep in Bangkok.
There were also reports of demonstrations in other regions.
The rallies in the southern provinces followed Mr Suthep's call on Tuesday night from the occupied Finance Ministry for anti-Thaksin Shinawatra protesters to take control of government offices in all provinces, to cripple the government and show their defiance toward the Yingluck Shinawatra administration.
The occupation in Songkhla went ahead despite a written order from Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan to all governors to prevent any attempts to take over the provincial halls.
He also warned protesters they could face prison terms of up to seven years if state property is damaged.
"In the event that protesters surround the provincial hall, the governor must protect it, continue to provide public services and ensure officials can continue to work," he said in the order sent to provincial chiefs.
The minister gave the governors a free hand to decide on how to keep the peace, and in declaring disaster areas.
He gave the government's primary provincial administrators full authority to handle the situation.
Despite Mr Charupong's directive, protesters were allowed to enter the compound grounds.
In Surat Thani, some protest leaders were also allowed to enter the buildings to give flowers and whistles to governor Chartpong Chatphuti, his three deputies and the provincial police chief, and they walked around all floors. They asked officials at their desks to stop working and go home, or join the rally in the compound outside.
There were well over 1,000 protesters in Surat Thani.
A similar number, led by the Network of Students and People for Thailand's Reform, demonstrated in Trang province on Tuesday night and yesterday.
In Phuket, about 1,000 protesters met governor Maitree Inthusut to give him flowers and a whistle, as protest symbols, in front of the building.
"We will camp out here at the provincial hall. We will not damage state property as the protest is peaceful," Surathin Lien-udom, a protest leader, said yesterday.
He asked Phuket officials and residents to join his campaign until they are able to overthrow the government.
In Krabi, about 3,000 protesters converged on the provincial hall to meet its governor Prasit Osathanont. The demonstrators gave him a bunch of flowers and a whistle. Mr Prasit blew the whistle and said he worked for His Majesty the King.
The southern region is the political base of the opposition Democrat Party.
Police and security officials were deployed in many other provinces _ including Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi in the West, Rayong in the East, Phayao and Phitsanulok in the North, and Khon Kaen, Udon Thani in the Northeast _ to beef up security at provincial halls against the protests.