Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Sunday posted on Instagram a photo of himself in a red shirt, saying he wants to see the return of justice and democracy to the country.
Thaksin said in his posting that since today was Sunday, he was wearing a red shirt to show support for all justice and democracy-loving people.
He explained that he was wearing red because: "1) It's a fashion trend; 2) It's Sunday of which the colour is red; 3) I have many red shirts at home; and 4) I, like the red-shirts, want to see the return of justice and democracy to the country."
Thaksin Shinawatra posts on Instagram a photo of himself in a red shirt on Sunday. (Photo from Thaksinlive Instagram)
"In fact, it is very easy for anyone to win the hearts of the red shirts. They don't need to use a gun or a law. Just be kind and you can win the hearts of the red-shirts, to save money and time," Thaksin said in his posting.
Despite a campaign on the social media for the red shirts throughout the country to wear red today, Nov 1, to show support for former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, there were no reports of people doing so en masse.
In Khon Kaen, which is a traditional stronghold of the red shirts, there were no unusual movements of the people at important spots such as city hall, the provincial court, the city pillar and the democracy monument.
Pol Col Supakorn Khamsingnok, deputy chief of Khon Kaen police, said at meetings with the red-shirt leaders in the province they said the red shirts would not come out in a show of force.
Col Jaturapong Bokbon, deputy director of the Khon Kaen office of the Internal Security Operations Command, said the situation was still normal without any significant movements of the red shirts.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, Anuwat Tinrat, former chairman of the provincial branch of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, said red-shirts in 32 districts had been told not to stage any unusual activities such as going out for a mass rally in red.
In Phayao province in the North, Siriwat Jupamadtha, a UDD coordinator, admitted he had posted on Facebook saying he would wear red on Nov 1 to show moral support for Ms Yingluck who is facing a lawsuit over the rice-pledging scheme. He said he did not mean to call for the red shirts to turn out for a mass rally in red.
Mr Siriwat said he had talked over this matter with UDD chairman Jatuporn Prompan, who had urged the red shirts to be careful in their expression of opinions during this time.