"The measures possibly needed to subsequently restore peace and order will be adopted from light to intense, and [will be carried out] without lethal weapons," Thanathip said. He said any troops involved in crowd control would be armed with batons and shields.

He was speaking after the monthly meeting of commanders of the Army's combat units, including the Bangkok-based 2nd Cavalry Division and the Infantry Air Defence Division.

"The Army will only monitor the situation closely throughout the weekend period," he said. "Only normal security measures will be adopted within the compounds of the Bangkok-based units."

A source said Army commander General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who chaired the meeting, had repeated his order that all Army personnel remain neutral in the current political situation. The meeting also discussed what to do if the situation turned violent, in particular if pro-and anti-government forces confronted each other.

Sonthi also dismissed rumours that he had asked Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to resign or was planning to stage a coup.

The source said Sonthi had asked the officers to maintain their attention to the persistent problem of violence in the South - and also in some border areas in the North following an intelligence report that drug smugglers were sneaking in and out.

Thanathip said the Infantry Air Defence Division was still in charge of security inside the Army Head-quarters compound while members of the Special Operations Command served only as a personal security detail.

He also said that a total of 300,000 stickers brandishing the slogan "We Love the King" above the Army insignia had been produced and distributed among Army units to encourage neutrality towards the political turmoil.