Hundreds of fans swarmed around former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra as she arrived at the Supreme Court in Bangkok on Friday to give evidence at her negligence trial.
Ms Yingluck is charged in the court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders with failing to stop corruption in the financially ruinous rice pledging scheme introduced and administered by her government, which saddled the state with huge stockpiles of unsold, deteriorating rice worth hundreds of billions of baht.
Several hundred people were outside the court to greet her. Many handed her red roses.
She repeated her plea of innocence on the negligence charge to the crowd, saying the losses occurred after she was removed from office by the court.
Ms Yingluck also repeated her intention to vote "No" to both questions on the ballot in Sunday's referendum on the military government's draft constitution.
"I want to invite all Thais to go and vote," she said. "I don't want a small turnout, otherwise the result won't be what we want if we want to see democracy have a future."
Ms Yingluck's Pheu Thai Party has expressed fears of a low turnout on Sunday, with many among its rural support base unsure of how the new charter affects them.
A low turnout would probably favour the military, which says the document will bring long-term stability, rein in avaricious politicians and prevent any one party from becoming too dominant.
Opponents say it will lead to a straitjacketed democracy, weak coalition governments controlled by an appointed senate, and enable courts and other agencies to hamper policymaking.