Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday he would not allow further demonstrations against him at the square near the royal palace in Bangkok where 40,000 people protested at the weekend.
Media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul, who organized the biggest anti-government rally in 14 years, called for another one on Saturday in a bid to force Thaksin from office, but Thaksin said it would not be allowed near the palace.
"That's enough," Thaksin told reporters in the northern city of Chiang Mai.
"They can't have it there anymore" because the square was just too near the palace, he said, citing traffic jams caused by the huge weekend gathering.
"You can have democracy, but within boundaries. It should be organized somewhere else," he said.
Sondhi, who began his campaign to oust former ally Thaksin last September, said he would discuss the issue with staff before deciding what to do in response.
"When he said `No,' we can't resist, otherwise there would be clashes," Sondhi said.
Thaksin has shrugged off the calls to resign and used a speech to young footballers yesterday to hit back at his critics.
"Democracy is all about living in a society in harmony. A society where sports don't exist is full of those who don't play by the rules and those who are undisciplined," Thaksin said as he opened a youth soccer tournament in Chiang Mai.
The message was aimed at Sondhi and the opposition Democrat Party whom Thaksin accuses of using unconstitutional methods to try to overthrow a government that won a second landslide election victory just a year ago.
"We should be proud of a victory that comes from our own ability, but a victory that comes by exploiting others will haunt us," Thaksin said.
He smiled constantly despite facing the toughest political battle of his five-year premiership.
Thailand's political scene is at a turning point, the Democrats said yesterday.
Thaksin has insisted he will not quit despite the 18-hour weekend demonstration which drew 50,000 people, and the departure of two ministers in his Cabinet in recent days.
But Democrat Party spokesman Sathit Pitutacha said that as the pressure on Thaksin mounted, he was struggling to cope with fractures in his sprawling Thai Rak Thai party which he founded in 1998.
"Politics is reaching a turning point as a large number of people are demanding a change in the government, not only from outside Thai Rak Thai party but also from those inside the party," Sathit said.
"Not only have there been huge demonstrations from anti-Thaksin camps on Saturday and calls from several academics for Thaksin to resign, but it is likely that Thaksin can't control his internal party politics," Sathit said.
The protest was triggered by Thaksin family's sale of Shin Corp -- the telecom giant founded by the premier -- to Singapore's state-owned investment firm Temasek on Jan. 23.
His family structured the deal to avoid paying tax on the US$1.9 billion earned from the sale, sparking a public outcry and an investigation by regulators, and creating his biggest headache since sweeping to victory five years ago.
After another thumping election victory last year, Thai Rak Thai now holds 375 seats in the 500-seat parliament -- an unprecedented feat in the country's turbulent political history.
But since the election it has all been downhill for Thaksin, with intense criticism over his failure to quell violence in the Muslim-majority south, and growing concerns he has used his influence to promote his family's business interests.
Analysts said the chances of Thaksin stepping aside were remote with his backbone support in the countryside still strong.
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