Anti-government protesters from the southern provinces are on their way to Bangkok to join Suthep Thaugsuban and the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) on their last march in the capital to solicit support on Friday.
Suthep Thaugsuban, centre, leads anti-government protesters in a march along Sukhumvit Road on Thursday to shore up support for a major rally at Lumpini Park on Friday. (Photo by Seksan Rojjanametakul)
Saksarit Sriprasart, a PDRC coordinator in the southern region, said protesters are leaving southern provinces by car, train and plane to go to Bangkok after Mr Suthep advanced the date for a major rally to Friday from next Wednesday.
In Trang alone about 2,000 demonstrators have left the province for Lumpini Park, which is the main venue for the protest against the caretaker government.
He said PDRC members are ready for a long rally as they expect the demonstration will take several days.
Red-shirt members protest the National Anti-Corruption Commission's (NACC) decision to impeach Yingluck Shinawatra at the NACC office in Chiang Mai on Thursday. (Photo by Cheewin Sattha)
In Bangkok, Mr Suthep walked along Sukhumvit Road Thursday in his last march to garner support for the planned rally on Friday.
The PDRC rally will be countered by a major rally of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) on Saturday.
UDD chairman Jatuporn Prompan called for a show of force by red-shirt members in the wake of the ruling by the Constitutional Court against former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday and the decision of the National Anti-Corruption Commission to impeach her on Thursday.
The red shirts will try to convince Ms Yingluck to join the rally on Aksa Road, he said, adding that the gathering will oppose ''the invisible hands'' who are behind efforts to oust her and the caretaker government.
"I'm sending a message to all UDD key men and members that our enemy is the ammart who are interfering with democracy,'' he said.
Red-shirt members in northern and northeastern provinces will begin their journey on Friday to arrive in Bangkok on Saturday, their leaders said.
Siriwat Jupamattha, a UDD coordinator in Phayao, claimed at least 50,000 red-shirt members in all northern provinces will join the Bangkok demonstration.
They will stay for a week and be rotated by another group as they also expect a long rally, he added.