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The annual Emporium Music Festival was first staged in 1988 as a gesture of thanks by the Emporium’s management to its customers. It has seen the participation of many Thai and international professional singers, young talents and well-known personalities, and this combination of glamour and talent has made each year’s event a memorable occasion.

This year’s festival opens today (February 27) and continues until March 1 at the Fashion Hall, 1st floor, the Emporium shopping complex. To celebrate its 10th year and a decade of musical extravaganza, part of the proceeds from the festival will go to the Friends in Need (of ‘Pa’) Volunteers Foundation, Thai Red Cross.

“Music is a key ingredient in any celebration as it plays a big role in bringing people together,” said Kriengsak Tantiphipop, senior managing director of the Emporium. “With more than 100 performers coming together, each with a different style but with a common passion for music, we can see how music seals friendships. That is why the concept for this year’s festival is ‘Music for Friends’.”

The three-day music festival will see the performers presenting Thai and Western music of many genres from pop-rock to romantic ballads, jazz, sentimental songs and country music. HRH Princess Somsawali will preside at the opening, which will continue with a performance by the Stream of Arts Melody band led by Lalisa Chonbarami.

Stream of Arts Melody was formed by a group of friends with a love for music, and this will be the their first public performance as a band. The members are well-known artists Acharn Nab Sotthibandhu and Acharn Supakit Uttaranakorn; entrepreneurs Pongphan Sampawakop, Nunthacha Sinpatanasakul, Viparadee Phuvanatnaranubala, Arisra Caroline Foulder, Pompoj Namgpong and Thidej Maithai; and songwriters Kamol Tapkallai; Piyakit Chongbarami and Manoo Yu-On, among others.

“The beauty of this band lies in the professional diversity of the members, and each one of us has his or her own distinct talent,” said Lalisa. “It’s not only our shared love for music but also our bond of friendship that encouraged us to perform for the public.”

For this music festival, the group has chosen sentimental songs of the ’60s, some classics of the ’70s as well as songs with the kind of lively rhythm that will encourage the audience to sing along.

Another set of guests is 2D and The Gang led by well-known hairstylist Somsak Chalachol and celebrity Darunee Kritboonyalai. The two have invited a group of young and talented professional singers to perform on stage with them. Their special guests are Teerasak Puntujariya, Navapadon Mingtum (Mew AF2), Puthida Sirachaya, Wiroonkarn Kritboonyalai, Yupapak Vajrabhaya and Puwanart Kunnaphin.

“I’m glad to be appearing in the festival again,” said Darunee. “I’ve never seen any other shopping complex create such joyful tradition of music for 10 continuous years. Right now we’re working hard rehearsing for the show.”

“Our group means to keep the audience’s feet tapping with fast numbers and soothe them with slow songs with meaningful lyrics,” said Somsak.”We’re starting with John Lenon’s Imagine, then following with Elton John’s Your Song, Michael Buble’s Everything and Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

BTS Plus is another group of well-known businessmen including Anurut Vonvanij, Nipit Arunvongse Na Ayudhaya, Prasarn Akarapongpisak, Piya Dontreechareon, Surapol Pinthong, Bundid Silparat, Parinya Thamwattana, Nantaporn Sawangjaeng and Dr Bunarat Samutrak. Though they all have busy lives, they have regularly played together as a band for the past five years, and this music festival will be their debut in public.

“I feel honoured and nervous at the same time, as this will be our first time on stage,” said Anurut. “With love still in the air, we’re coming with a post-Valentine theme to sway the audience with some beautiful love songs.”

There will also be plenty of well-known singers and showbiz personalities to bring glamour and musical talent to the festival, among them Maleewan Jemina, Songsit Rungnoppakunsri, Jennifer Kim, Chalatit Tuntiwut, Sirintip Harnpradit, Smith Arayakul, Witchayanee Piaklin, Suparuj Taechatanont, Panadda Ruangwut and Peerapong Chalermyothin.

“It’s good to be a part of this festival as it is also for a good cause,” said Maleewan. “I have prepared some songs that I hope will please my fans and everyone else, too.”

Kob Songsit will also be performing on the opening day. “I’m really looking forward to the festival because it feels like a celebration between friends,” he said. Kob has prepared a mix of jazz and pop songs as well as his signature song Pa-Ti-Harn (Miracle), and a new song that he’ll be singing for the first time in public, Please Me Tonight.

The last day promises to be no less spectacular with a Mama Mia-style closing performance led by MR Malinee Chakrabhandhu, a lady that this music festival just couldn’t do without. She has dazzled the stage since the first year when she was invited to perform by saxophonist Tewan Supsanyakorn. This time, she will come with her younger sister MR Benchapa Krairiks and niece Claudia Chakrabhandhu as a trio with the name Travel Through Time.

“The stage of the Emporium’s music festival is very special to me,” said MR Malinee. “At this 10th music festival, I promise to give my best in the closing scene. I’ve invited Juan David Guardia, son of the ambassador of Panama, to be a part of it, and his performance will be a surprise for the audience.”

The Emporium Music Festival No. 10 opens today (February 27) and continues until March 1 at the Fashion Hall, 1st floor, the Emporium shopping complex. There is also a photo exhibition of the Friends in Need (of ‘Pa’) Volunteers Foundation, Thai Red Cross, at the Motion Hall, ground floor. The festival is open to the public free of charge.

The Bangkok Post and Post Today will be going all out to bring all the news and views from the Asean summit beginning today. Section 1 and Business editions of both newspapers will present full reports of all the Asean and sideline events from the summit venues in Cha-Am, Phetchaburi and in Hua Hin.

In addition to our regular newspaper reports, Bangkok Post and Post Today reporters will be on-air to provide news roundups and analysis on TNN starting today at 9 am, noon and 3 pm, from the Asean Business Summit at Plaza Athenee as well as the Asean Summit in Cha-Am.

On Thursday night at 8pm our team will be interviewing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at 8pm on Channel TNN1

Here are the publication and on-air reports and interviews we have scheduled for you from Friday onwards:

Friday Feb 27

A Page 1 news story will carry our exclusive interview Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in both Bangkok Post and Post Today.

Excerpts of special interview with the Malaysian prime minister will be printed on the Oped pages of both Bangkok Post and Post Today.

The full interview text of the interview will be printed in Bangkok Post and Post Today.

Video clips of the interview will be on the websites of both the Bangkok Post and Post Today.

The full interview will be aired on television on Friday night on Channel TNN1 at 8 pm

Saturday Feb 28

Look on the front pages of the Bangkok Post and Post today for our exclusive interview with Lee Hsien Loon, prime minister of Singapore.

The Oped pages of both Bangkok Post and Post Today newspapers will carry excerpts of this special interview with Mr Lee.

The full text of the interview with Prime Minister Lee will be available on both the Bangkok Post and Post Today websites.

Video clips of the interview will be carried on both websites.

On 8 pm on Saturday night, Channel TNN1 will air the full interview of the Singapore prime minister with Bangkok Post and Post Today.

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - - Internet pioneer Yahoo! is open to selling its Web search business or entering into a partnership with another company, but doing a deal would be hard, a top executive said on Wednesday.

“We are not opposed to doing a deal that would maximize the value of the business in one way or another, be it a partnership or be it a long term sale,” Yahoo! chief financial officer Blake Jorgensen said.

“We’re very focused though on building our business and doing that in a way which we can benefit all from the search side,” he added during a Goldman Sachs technology conference here.

Microsoft has expressed interest in Yahoo!’s search business and made a bid for the Sunnyvale, California-based firm last year but Jorgensen did not mention the US software giant as a potential partner.

He stressed the difficulties of doing a deal.

“What people don’t quite appreciate is the complexity of the business, and how these businesses are intertwined,” he said. “For example at a data center, we don’t parse between search or non-search.

“It’s extremely difficult to draw a line down the middle of the organisation and split it in two pieces,” Jorgensen said. “It doesn’t say we couldn’t do it, we certainly could, but we want to do it for the right reasons and the right economics.”

Yahoo! rejected a takeover bid by Microsoft last year but Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has said the software giant remains interested in a search partnership with Yahoo!

Speculation of such a deal has been revived with the departure of Yahoo! chief executive Jerry Yang, who opposed the Microsoft bid, and his replacement by new CEO Carol Bartz.

Hilary Schneider, another Yahoo! executive, said that with Bartz’ arrival “it’s really clear there’s a new sheriff in town, and it’s a sheriff with a consumer outlook.”

“She’s very intolerant with people who come late to meetings,” said Jorgensen.

“She doesn’t suffer fools,” added Schneider. “Stupid questions don’t go very far.”

Google is the overwhelming market leader for Internet search with a market share of more than 63 percent in January according to research firm comScore, followed by Yahoo! with 21 percent and Microsoft with 8.5 percent.

FUERSTENBERG, Germany (AFP) - - “They told us we were in the camp brothel, that we were the lucky ones. We would eat well and have enough to drink. If we behaved and fulfilled our duties nothing would happen to us.”

So begins the wrenching account of Frau W., a prisoner of the Nazi concentration camp Ravensbrueck north of Berlin who between mid-1943 and December 1944 was forced to work as a sex slave for her fellow detainees.

Her story forms the centrepiece of a new exhibition at Ravensbrueck about the fate of women pressed into prostitution between 1942 and 1945, like Asia’s “comfort women” during World War II.

But rather than servicing soldiers, the camp prostitutes were the brainchild of SS chief Heinrich Himmler to increase productivity among forced labourers and try to keep homosexuality from “breaking out” among their ranks.

Their numbers were far smaller than the tens of thousands of “comfort women” kidnapped across Asia to serve Japanese troops.

But Ravensbrueck centre director Insa Eschebach said the at least 200, predominantly German women who were enslaved also endured paralysing trauma, shame and scorn in an until now largely “taboo” chapter of European history.

Most of the sex workers were taken from the women’s camps at Ravensbrueck and Auschwitz to brothels at 10 camps in Germany and the Nazi-occupied eastern territories.

The vast majority were imprisoned for “anti-social” behaviour — a crime arbitrarily defined under Hitler to include prostitutes but also women with suspect political ties or relationships with Jews.

Prisoners given a privileged place in the camp hierarchy — exhibition curator Michael Sommer estimates about one percent of the forced labourers — could “buy” up to a quarter of an hour with a prostitute for two Reichsmarks from the pittance they earned in the Nazi-run factories.

A fraction of that amount was credited to women’s camp accounts which they could use for food when it was available.

“The sex work was organised very bureaucratically,” said Sommer, showing prisoner files with the code 998 signifying a prostitute and vouchers used by men allowed to visit the camp brothel.

No Jews worked at the brothels or were allowed to patronise them, and separate facilities were created for camp guards.

Prostitutes were regularly tested for sexually transmitted diseases to avoid outbreaks at the camps. Pregnancies ended in forced abortions.

“The irony was that while the Nazis tried to regulate prostitution in German cities, they institutionalised it at the camps,” Sommer said.

Some women “volunteered” for service in the brothels, which were heated and had slightly better hygienic conditions, after being promised early release from the degrading and life-threatening conditions of the camps.

Others only learned of their fate when the first patrons were ushered in.

Another woman whose testimony is featured in the exhibition, identified only as Frau B., said each woman worked in a small room where she received up to 10 men in two hours.

“There was a spy hole and sometimes the guards would peek in and sneer,” she said. “But you know, we were so numb that we just thought, ‘Get stuffed, you bastards.’”

Although the months in the brothel left her permanently scarred, Frau B. said the men who visited her were “decent” by and large.

“They had also been locked up for years and were happy to have human contact,” she said. Sometimes, the men just wanted to talk.

Many political prisoners boycotted the brothels. Communists at Buchenwald were convinced the bordellos would be used by the SS to spy on prisoners.

Although nearly all the sex workers survived until the camps’ liberation, there is scant evidence any were released for service rendered.

After the war, most of the German sex workers kept their trauma silent out of shame, while foreign victims feared being seen as “collaborators”.

None received recognition from the German state as victims of sex slavery or compensation for their ordeal. Few, if any, are still alive today.

Eschebach noted that sex slavery has only been recognised as a war crime under international law since 2002 and said the more recent occurrences of mass rape in Bosnia and Rwanda, as well as the demands of “comfort women” for justice, had prompted more research in Germany.

The exhibition can be seen at Ravensbrueck until March 8, and will make three more stops in Germany before opening in Rome in 2010.

HONG KONG (AFP) - - Japan on Wednesday posted a record trade deficit and Hong Kong said its economy would shrink by up to three percent in 2009 as recession woes deepened across Asia.

US President Barack Obama meanwhile unveiled plans to help pull the world’s biggest economy out of recession, but admitted the government would have to spend even more to save the country’s troubled banks and ailing auto companies.

Japan’s recession woes showed no signs of abating as the finance ministry announced the trade deficit had ballooned in January to 952.6 billion yen (9.9 billion dollars) — the worst month since records began 30 years ago.

Exports plummeted 45.7 percent from a year earlier, highlighting how Asia’s largest economy has been left exposed during the slowdown due to its heavy reliance on foreign demand for its cars, high-tech products and other goods.

“Because of the shrinking global economy, Japan’s business model of being dependent on exports is not working at all,” said Barclays Capital chief Japan economist Kyohei Morita.

Japan’s top automakers Toyota, Honda and Nissan — which have already been forced to cut thousands of jobs — said Wednesday they had also sharply reduced production in January to counter the slump in global car sales.

Toyota Motor, the world number one, said its global output had fallen 42.6 percent in January from a year earlier. Nissan Motor reported a 54.0 percent plunge while Honda logged a 33.5 percent drop.

Japan, the world’s second largest economy after the United States, is now in its worst recession in decades, after contracting at an annualised pace of 12.7 percent in the last quarter of 2008 — the worst figure in almost 35 years.

Its recovery from recession in the 1990s was thanks in large part to the strength of its exports, but falling global consumer spending and a strong yen have left exporters struggling to compete.

The news was no better from Hong Kong , where the city’s financial secretary said the economy would shrink by two to three percent in 2009 — the first annual contraction since the Asian financial crisis more than a decade ago.

“This once-in-a-century financial turmoil has spread from the financial markets to the real economy, leading to a synchronised global recession,” John Tsang told lawmakers.

“Being a small, open economy, Hong Kong will inevitably be hit by the turmoil.”

Japan’s trade deficit The southern Chinese city first tumbled into recession in the third quarter of 2008, and the situation worsened in the final quarter, with GDP shrinking 2.5 percent year-on-year, Tsang said.

Hong Kong is still sitting on 488 billion dollars (63 billion US) in fiscal reserves, which many analysts had expected Tsang to use to stimulate the economy, but he resisted, instead focusing on job creation and salary tax cuts.

The job situation in Singapore looked increasingly bleak, with a study by local bank DBS showing that up to 99,000 jobs could be lost in the city-state before the crisis is over due to decreased demand for exports.

Taiwan, which is also dependent on foreign demand for its goods, saw exports plunge 41.67 percent to 17.68 billion US dollars in January, the biggest fall since 1984. Industrial output fell a record 43.11 percent in January from a year earlier, the government said Tuesday.

And in Indonesia , Southeast Asia’s largest economy, parliament approved a six-billion-US-dollar stimulus package of tax incentives, government spending and subsidies to stave off further fallout from the global crisis.

In Washington, President Obama tried to reassure Americans that the economy would survive the recession, saying that further spending on top of the trillions of dollars already set aside might be needed to bail out US banks.

The banks fell victim to mass defaults on so-called subprime mortgage loans — made to people with weaker credit histories that were repackaged and sold to banks and investors around the world.

The defaults set off a global chain reaction that left banks saddled with piles of toxic assets leaving growth at a standstill, with many consumers unable to borrow money.

Obama announced a new lending fund aimed at small business owners and students, saying that without a plan to kickstart lending, “our recovery will be choked off before it even begins.”

“You see, the flow of credit is the lifeblood of our economy,” he told lawmakers.

Obama’s speech cheered investors in Japan, where share prices closed up 2.65 percent. Hong Kong stocks were up 0.7 percent after the morning session.

Police have identified the foreigner whose severed head was found dangling from the Rama VIII bridge as Maurizio Tosadori, an Italian national.

Tosadori was identified by Mrs Wimol (also known as Chai) Jaijong, the owner of a guesthouse and restaurant in Phra Nakhon district, deputy national police chief Jongrak Jutanont said.

Police earlier believed the man to be another Italian, Giovanni Gaeta, 49, as a picture recorded by the Immigration Bureau seemed to fit the dead man’s description.

Pol Gen Jongrak said Mrs Wimol, 56, yesterday contacted police and named the dead man as Tosadori, 52.

She said she allowed the victim to stay without paying rent at her guesthouse for two weeks. She asked him to leave at the weekend because a customer asked her about renting her room.

She said she had not seen Tosadori at the restaurant since.

Police searched a room at the guesthouse and found Tosadori’s passport, which showed he entered Thailand on Feb 6 , via Cambodia.

Also found was a letter in English dated Feb 21, addressed to Mrs Wimol, which read: “Thank you very much for everything. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

Six photos found in the room showed Tosadori had a lump on the left side of his forehead. It matched that on the head found hanging from the bridge on Sunday afternoon.

The search also found three files of personal documents, his ID card, his driving licence, a mobile phone and medication. The documents showed Tosadori was an architect.

Pol Gen Jongrak said stress might have driven the Italian to commit suicide.

Mrs Wimol said Tosadori was a heavy smoker, short of money and often fell ill. He usually left the room every morning to look for work. She said he told her he wanted to marry and have children.

Pol Gen Jongrak said if no further evidence was found within 30 days, police would conclude, based on scientific findings, that the man committed suicide.

EARLIER REPORT By BangkokPost.com

Police believe that Italian Maurizio Tosabori, 54, who hanged himself from the Rama VIII Bridge, committed suicide because of unemployment and illness.

Tosabori was an unemployed architect, investigators have revealed.

Driven by poverty and illness he decapitated himself by leaping from the Rama VIII bridge, police say.

An autopsy showed the man had chronic diseases - he coughed regularly and had a tumour in his stomach, deputy national police chief Jongrak Juthanont told reporters on Wednesday.

The man was not Giovanni Gaeta as local media reported on Tuesday, Pol Gen Jongrak said.

The identification came after investigators found a hostel owner in Khao San road where Tosabori rented a room.

The owner, Wimon Jongjai, said Tosabori stayed at her hostel for free for two weeks before he disappeared on Saturday after she asked him to vacate the room.

Police checked the room and found Tosabori’s belongings, including his passport. A letter was also found in the room. He left a message for Mrs Wimon thanking her for the accommodation and apologising for not paying the rent.

Pattaya has a number of islands in its vicinity of which Koh Lan is the largest. The island is somewhat an extension of the mainland activities, featuring water sports such as diving snorkeling, windsurfing, waterskiing and para-sending. A key attraction is boats sailing around the island for sightseeing purposes. Some of the boats have glass bottoms enabling passengers to see coral and marine life at the bottom of the sea. The island has a number of beaches, the main beach hosting a number of excellent seafood restaurants selling dishes made from freshly caught seafood. The area also features deep sea fishing boats around Koh Lan’s neighbours, Koh Krok and Koh Sak.

Details: Koh Lan is 45 minutes from Pattaya beach by boat or 20 minutes by long-tail boat. Most of the tour boats make anchor to take advantage of the foodshops and stalls along these beaches. Facing Hat Thong Lang are coral ranges. Visitors can choose glass-bottom boats and surface-diving. Hat Samae is located to the southwest while Hat Ta Phan is to the west of the island.

How to get there: Ferries leave South Pattaya Pier daily from 10:00 to 18.30, the one-way fare being 20 Baht. The return ferry leaves Koh Lan’s Na Ban Beach at 12:00 and 14:00.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is refusing to be intimidated by red-shirt protesters laying siege to Government House by saying he will defy them and walk into the building.

Mr Abhisit’s determined stand caused several cabinet ministers yesterday to express nervous concerns that his presence could be seen as a challenge to the anti-government protesters who mainly support former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, government sources said.

Police and security officials would evaluate the situation today before recommending what course of action Mr Abhisit should take, the sources said. But he brushed aside a suggestion he avoid Government House and use parliament as a temporary office.

Mr Abhisit said in the resort district of Cha-am in Phetchaburi where the cabinet meeting was being held his routine would remained unchanged.

“I will go to work at Government House as usual. I will walk into the office if the protesters are unarmed,” he told reporters.

He indicated he was confident United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship leaders could keep control of the rally and that the protesters would not resort to violence.

But he warned legal action would be taken against them if they invaded Government House.

Mr Abhisit said Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban was keeping a close watch on the situation and updating him. He stressed there were no plans to try to put an end to the rally.

“This government has no policy to use violence. Therefore it is unnecessary to break up the protest,” he said.

After Mr Abhisit announced his determination to walk into Government House, deputy spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Bureau Suporn Phansuea said measures were put in place to clear the way for him.

National police chief Patcharawat Wongsuwan said police were filming the UDD protesters and video footage would be used as evidence against them if they violated the law.

About 10,000 demonstrators organised by the UDD camped outside the compound last night.

The rally drew more than 15,000 red-clad protesters yesterday morning when it started at Sanam Luang and moved to Ratchadamnoen Avenue. But the number had fallen last night.

The protest, which was mostly peaceful, was organised to pressure the Abhisit administration into dissolving the House, remove Kasit Piromya as foreign minister, amend the constitution and take legal action against leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy over the closure of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports.

The red shirts indicated they would assess the situation on a day-to-day basis as they decide on how long they would remain outside the compound. Some UDD protesters would gather at the Foreign Ministry today to call for the removal of Mr Kasit.

UDD leader Jatuporn Prompan said the group would intensify the protest should the government fail to meet their demands.

SYDNEY (AFP) - - Tens of thousands of people from more than 200 countries have applied for “the best job in the world” — being paid to loll about on an Australian island — according to officials.

A late rush of more than 7,500 applications over the weekend brought the number people hoping to become “caretaker” of tropical Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef to 34,684, the Queensland state government said.

The deadline for applications was midnight GMT Sunday.

“This has been a phenomenal response and certainly more than we ever anticipated,” Tourism Queensland chief executive Anthony Hayes.

The most interest came from the US with 11,565 applicants, followed by Canada with 2,791, Britain with 2,262 and Australia with 2,064, the government said in a statement.

Among the latest applicants were famed US crooner and movie star Dean Martin’s son Ricci and a Barack Obama impersonator looking for a change of job.

Candidates had to submit a video application in English of up to one minute explaining why they are uniquely qualified for the post.

The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (about 100,000 US dollars) for six months and includes free airfares from the successful candidate’s home country to the island of white sands and clear waters.

In return, the winner will be expected to have as much fun as he or she can enjoy — soaking up the sun, swimming, snorkeling, sailing — and to report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.

The successful candidate — who will stay in a multimillion-dollar three-bedroom beach home — must be over 18, a “fantastic and charismatic” communicator, and able to speak and write English.

The campaign is a key element in a drive to promote the northeastern Australian state’s 18-billion-dollar–year tourism industry during the tough global economic climate, officials say.

A shortlist of 50 applicants will be announced on March 2, the final 11 candidates will be flown to the island for interviews from May 3, and the winner will be announced on May 6.

BANGKOK (AFP) - - Thai authorities said they will deploy nearly 4,000 police for a planned march Tuesday by supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, as protest leaders said they would rally for three days.

Pro-Thaksin forces are set to rally outside the main government offices in Bangkok just days before a crucial summit of Southeast Asian leaders at a Thai southern beach resort.

The cabinet of current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is set to hold its weekly meeting in the resort of Hua Hin on Tuesday, although Abhisit has denied that the move is to avoid the demonstrators.

“We will be there at Government House for at least three days to ask for our demands to be met,” said Shinawat Haboonpad, a member of the protest group, known as the “Red Shirts” because of their colourful attire.

The group has called for the government to sack people from the anti-Thaksin People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) movement who were involved in the seizure of both Government House and Bangkok’s two airports during rallies last year.

They are also seeking the return of the 1997 constitution, which was replaced by a new constitution following the 2006 coup that toppled Thaksin, and fresh elections.

PAD supporters ended the airport and Government House sieges in December, when the court dissolved the Thaksin-linked ruling party, paving the way for Democrat Party leader Abhisit to take power in a parliamentary vote.

The power-switch angered many Thaksin supporters who felt robbed of their democratic rights, and they have held a series of protests in recent weeks.

Metropolitan police commissioner Suchart Meunkaew said nearly 4,000 security forces would be on duty during the rally in central Bangkok on Tuesday.

He said that police will not block the march but said that “force will be used” to protect the prime minister’s office.

Abhisit said the government would allow protesters to rally so long as they do not break the law, but urged them not to harm Thailand’s image by disrupting this weekend’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Hua Hin.

“The success of this meeting is the success of the country, which will bring confidence to the country and help people during the economic troubles,” he told reporters.

“The protests will not effect the decisions made by leaders attending the summit.”

Red Shirts member Shinawat said the group did not intend to protest at the beach resort, despite the participation of Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, who was himself a key PAD leader.