Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont was expected to reshuffle his Cabinet this weekend to shore up the government's image and stability after its job approval rating dropped to a point where there were doubts over its survival, a source said yesterday.

Surayud was expected to add at least three more ministers to the new Cabinet line-up to fast-track work and solve problems that are plaguing the country.

The current Cabinet ministers, including his economic team are expected to continue in their posts.

General Watanachai Chaimuanwong, a senior adviser to the PM, is expected to be made a deputy PM overseeing internal security, the crisis in the South, political rallies and protests.

Watanachai is well qualified, as he has been working in the field for a long period and is equipped with information and working teams to support him. He also gets along well with the Council for National Security.

Surayud is also expected to appoint a deputy Interior Minister to help oversee the election being held at the end of the year, plus a deputy Agriculture Minister to help negotiate with protesting farmers.

Campaign for Popular Democracy secretary-general, Suriyasai Katasila said a Cabinet reshuffle was a must for the government's survival and urged Surayud to come up with a major reshuffle so that the government could make major progress on the problems the country faces.

He suggested ministers should work in teams as they may function much better. "A team to solve the problems in the South, a team to reform media, reform politics, and an economic team," he said.

"A minor reshuffle would be seen as attempt to buy time until the election is held. The PM should use this opportunity to exercise his leadership, or he will lose his only chance," he said.

Suriyasai believes politics will see more intense fighting among four groups: the People's Alliance for Democracy; those loyal to the former PM Thaksin; those ready to give the government a chance; and those opposed to both Thaksin and the CNS.

"The conflicts among these four groups are widening and developing toward confrontation stage as political circumstances reach a breaking point because of corruption investigations, court decisions on party dissolution, the draft of the new constitution and attempts to hold on to power," he said.

He believed the government was fast loosing support of both the lower and middle classes after failing to shore up business confidence. For a large base of the population, or farmers, if Surayud's government adjusted its strategy to take care of their problems, it was unlikely this group would shake the government's stability.

"The middle class is actually the deciding factor. They have shown disappointment and dissatisfaction with the government's economic performance," Suriyasai said.

Meanwhile, more than half of respondents surveyed by a Dusit Poll support a Cabinet reshuffle.

The survey interviewed some 5,173 respondents in Bangkok and 28 provinces from April 11 until today. Of the total, 57 per cent said it was time to reshuffle the Cabinet because ministers had worked too slowly and had made few concrete achievements.

However 40 per cent wanted only a small reshuffle because the government had not much time left in office.