Political temperature will rise substantially after Songkran holidays, with opposing camps pledging to step up rallies in Bangkok, as legal ruling on the fate of the caretaker PM and her cabinet is about to be handed down.
Anti-government leader Suthep Thaugsuban, right, joins a religious ceremony to celebrate the traditional New Year at Lumpini Park on Tuesday. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)
The Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand (NSPRT) will accelerate its campaign against the caretaker government on Thursday after keeping a low profile for more than two weeks.
Network leader Uthai Yodmanee announced the return on Tuesday, vowing to take accelerated measures to unseat caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her cabinet by the end of this month.
The campaign will run in parallel with another rally by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), he added.
The NSPRT suspended all activities on April 1 after Wasan Kamwong, a security guard, was killed by unknown gunmen firing into its convoy on the expressway.
Mr Uthai acknowledged the need for a quick victory now as anti-government protesters were weary of prolonged protests which began in late October.
A key to the success was to lure government officials to join the campaign, which is entering its sixth month, he added.
Meanwhile, police are searching for evidence leading to the death of a PDRC guard in the early hours of Tuesday.
Jeerayut Senanarong, 40, was shot in the chest while a band performed on the Lumpini stage at around 1.50am.
He died shortly after being sent to the nearby King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.
Pol Col Somnuek Noikong, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau's Division 5, and forensic police checked the area around Gate 4 of Lumpini Park later in the day after getting the green light from the PDRC to enter the location.
Pol Col Yuth Thongyu, investigation inspector of Lumpini police station, said three men were having a brawl near the stage and they ran in front of it. Jeerayut, who guarded Gate 4 which is close to the stage, tried to break up the fight but one of the men shot him once with a .38 handgun.
The gunman then fled in the direction of Ratchaprasong intersection and fired another shot in the process. He is still at large, Pol Col Yuth said.
Also on Tuesday, the red shirts are gearing up for a rally in Bangkok.
Tida Tawornseth, former chairwoman of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), urged pro-government supporters to get ready for a Bangkok rally after the Songkran holidays.
Mrs Tida, who now acts as advisory chairwoman, asked the red shirts to come to the capital a day before the Constitutional Court hands down its ruling on the status of Ms Yingluck and her cabinet in a case involving the transfer of National Security Council chief Thawil Pliensri.
"Please come ... as many of you as possible. If we outnumber the PDRC, it will help curb Suthep [Thaugsuban]'s arrogance. The rally will determine Thailand's future. There's no more suitable time than this," she said.
UDD chairman Jatuporn Prompan said: "We'll set the date later but I assure you we won't back down until we win."
"I challenge Mr Suthep to match the size of our supporters," said Mr Jatuporn.