Red-shirt begins converging on outskirts of Bangkok
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The Thai supporters of the anti-government group, red-shirt, have begun gathering from other provinces to the outskirts of Bangkok since early Friday morning, the first day of the group's scheduled "million people march" in the capital city.
According to the national TV report, all the main roads from other provinces to Bangkok have seen the checkpoints activated since midnight, with police and military forces preventing anyone from bringing arms or explosives into Bangkok.
So far the security agencies have not got any report of suspicious items.
Some red-shirted supporters began to gather at the rendezvous points outside Bangkok. At Laksie, one of the northern entrances to Bangkok, dozens of red-clad people were waving red flags and waiting for more fellows to join them before marching to Bangkok.
Security authorities estimate there will be between 70,000 and 100,000 red-shirted demonstrators at the rally's peaks while the anti-government group claimed Bangkok will see as many as 1 million protestors on Sunday, the showdown day.
It is hard to predict the number of vehicles being mobilized but initial estimates suggest there will be 5,000.
First Army Area commander Lt General Kanit Sapithak on Friday voiced concern about the security risk at Wang Noi district, Ayutthaya, a main gateway to the capital.
"The red shirts from the North and the Northeast are expected to converge and this might cause a huge traffic jam as well as unforeseen circumstances," he said.
The deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thuagsuban, who is in charge of the Peacekeeping Operations Command that enforce the Internal Security Act (ISA) from Thursday (March 11) to March 23, said Thursday that they will deploy 30,000 soldiers, 10,000 Bangkok policemen and a contingent of 10,000 civilians to safeguard the peace during the massive rally.
According to the red-shirt plan, supporters from other provinces will converge and march to Bangkok on Friday and Saturday, and by Sunday noon they will amass 1 million red-shirted people to protest in an effort to push the government to dissolve the parliament and to hold a snap general election.
Nattawut Saikua, one of the core red-shirt' members, vowed Thursday that they will make the rally "as comfortable as possible" for Bangkok residents, trying to bring about violence and chaos.
