A police ordnance expert wearing an armoured suit attempts to identify a suspect package found at a Siam Commercial Bank branch near a soi connected to the home of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The package contained an alarm clock bound wit

Plainclothes and uniformed police including intelligence officials have been deployed to patrol embas-sies, department stores, bus terminals, banks, government offices, residences of important figures and even petrol station across the capital.

Round-the-clock police checkpoints were set up on major roads and sois that serve as shortcuts to major thoroughfares.

National Intelligence Agency director Pol General Jumpol

Manmai and Provincial Police Region 1 commissioner Lt-General Wut Puawes met caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minis-ter Chidchai Vanasatidya to discuss the intelligence report of another potential assassination attempt on Thaksin. They decided the information was well founded and agreed to step up Thaksin's security, a source said.

Chidchai also ordered security to be increased for the leaders of all political parties and the People's Alliance for Democracy, deploying more patrol officers to prevent any ill-intentioned groups from creating turmoil, the source said.

However, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and spokesman Ong-art Klampaiboon said they had not heard of the plot and that nothing had been changed at the party headquarters, where they reported seeing nothing and no one unusual.

Suriyasai Katasila, coordinator for the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), said police had not increased security for PAD leaders. However, he said the PAD had initiated certain security measures itself.

 "The police have implemented measures to secure their areas [of responsibility]. They have officers looking around from a distance. I'm not sure if the increased security, with officers accompanying group leaders, will be reasonable. That's up to the judgement of the police, whose responsibility is to protect people to the best of their ability," he said.

He said he had not personally come across any security officials.

Abhisit declined to speak further on the reported assassination plots against Thaksin, saying public comments on the issue had gone overboard.

He warned police to investigate last week's alleged attempted car-bombing in a straightforward manner and to remain objective and not be swayed by the influence of politicians.

"If police want to protect the country's image, they must not become the political instrument of anyone. So far the police have gone too far and lost their credibility," he said.

A security blanket was thrown around the Education Ministry, where Thaksin yesterday attended a meeting. Buses were kept away from the area and officials were not allowed to park their cars around the ministry.

When asked to comment on a poll showing that nearly half of Bangkok residents did not believe the alleged car-bomb plot against Thaksin was genuine, Chidchai said police had acted on intelligence reports about the planned bombing and arrested the suspects red-handed. He insisted it was not a set-up by the state.

Chat Thai Party deputy leader Somsak Prisananuntagul said no unusual incidents or persons had been reported at the party's headquarters.

"I want to beg people who have released such news to please stop. It's not good for the country's reputation to suggest there are crises, assassination attempts and bomb plots all the time. It will also hurt the economy and investment. The National Intelligence Bureau and the Internal Security Operation Command should clarify the doubts about the alleged assassination plots as soon as possible, because if they are real, the agencies have the ability to take control of the situation," he said.

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation