The Thai-language newspaper Khaosod published a photo on the front page of yesterday's edition which showed a building that resembled a railway carriage near Surayud's retreat home.

The Forestry Department is also reported to be scrutinising Surayud's plot of land to decide whether is located in the national forest reserve.

Sudchai Bunchai, a leader of the Saturday Opposition Group against the Coup, handed an open letter to an official at the NCCC's headquarters, asking the anti-graft agency to scrutinise the land at Surayud's retreat residence.

There are suspicions as to how Surayud acquired the train carriages and the plot of land on which the house was built.

As the land was part of a national forest reserve before being transferred to the ownership of a local resident named "Bao", from whom Surayud claimed to have bought the land, the NCCC should check if the local man ever existed and if the purchase was transparent, Sudchai said.

Khaosod published the photo that contradicts the images shown by Surayud in his press briefing on Monday.

During the briefing, Surayud showed three aerial photos of his 20-rai residence taken on August 23, 2005. He told reporters there was no train railway carriage on his property. However, Khaosod's photo shows there is a long rectangular object located close to the house, which is apparently the same house where Surayud said he often stayed for a retreat.

The newspaper said the object looked like a train carriage. Its reporter took the photo only a few days ago, it added.

After hearing about the anti-coup group's move, Surayud insisted he was open to any kind of scrutiny as he was a man of the people.

Wichai Laemwilai, director-general of the Forestry Department, said he would look into the allegation, particularly if Surayud's residence was located in a national forest reserve.

Thai Rak Thai Party deputy spokesman Jatuporn Promphan called on the NCCC to seek the truth in the matter as he believed the residence was built on national forest reserve land. He did not show any evidence.

Meanwhile, former TRT minister Suranand Vejjajiva called for fairness over the scrutiny of national leaders. As anti-graft agencies have launched a serious probe into deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, they should let him have a chance to defend himself, he said.

Surayud's case should be applied under the same context, he added.

"As the government is not elected, it should be scrutinised more seriously," he said.

The report about the train carriage was allegedly leaked to the press last weekend by an aide to former prime minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who appears to have a conflict with the coup leaders.