Will move to individual posts. The rally is not that easy to live blog as there is not that much happening. The red shirts are staying in one place once they have gathered. The statements on the stage are not really new ie elite is bad etc. A round-up of news stories and Thaksin’s phone-in to come.

9:00 p.m. Bernama quotes red shirt leader Nattawut confirming the obvious that the red shirts will continue their rally tomorrow:

The “Red Shirts” anti- government protesters are to continue their demonstrations tomorrow by marching in this capital to deliver their demands to the government.

United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) leader Nattawut Saikua said today they would walk from the Phan Fa Bridge on Ratchadamneon Aveue where the main stage of the mass rally is located at 9am to the 11th Infantry Regiment where the government has set up a peacekeeping centre to monitor rally.

SMH:

More than 100,000 protesters gathered in the old part of the city of Bangkok, turning the wide boulevard of Ratchadamnoen Road into a sea of red.
…
Other rallies yesterday crippled transport routes across the city. A column of more than 15,000 protesters, by one police estimate, marched down Sukhumvit Road, an important thoroughfare and tourist road, to join the larger rally.
….
”This is not a government for the Thai people. We did not vote for this government. We must be allowed to have our say,” Somsak, a Bangkok university student, told the Herald.

BP: On the 15,000 protesters, they were coming into Bangkok from ouside of Bangkok.  A BP reader who has provided accurate information in the past and who was near Sukhumvit Soi 31 (the soi that Abhisit lives on) e-mails this report:

Thousands of red shirts were massed in Sukhumvit on the side heading downtown, across from the pak soi of Soi 31, in many vehicles, many on motorcycles. They allowed one lane of traffic to flow through, and I saw some red shirts helping police in ushering vehicles to pass and helping them maneuver around some of the red shirts who occasionally spilled into the open lane. A leader called out slogans and made statements into a loud-hailer, drawing repeated cheers and clapping (real hands and plastic clappers, har har). A phalanx of soldiers, maybe about 60-80?, were in several rows across the pak soi that leads to the PM’s house. The atmosphere could be described as “unbridled enthusiasm”, without exaggeration.

To me, the most interesting thing to observe were the ordinary Thais — vendors, people coming out of their shops (particularly in primarily Yellow Bangkok), and people streaming from smaller sub-sois to watch — along the street who were not wearing red, but were cheering as well, and as the convoy of thousands finished the protest and started driving along Sukhumvit (presumably toward Ratchadamnoen), these same un-red-shirted people waved and called out to the departing Reds. Also, a surprising number of people driving private cars (as well as taxis, but we’d expect those), honked their horns and waved and smiled at the Reds as they drove past. Many men and women not wearing who had just come out to the street to watch were waving whatever red things they could find as the Reds departed: red shopping bags, faded Coke signs, I even saw a red sock!

There was a good vibe of empowerment and pleasure in finally being able to express what they think, in the heart of the city where “it” all happens, on the Reds’ part. However, I’m so worried not just about the “third hand” possibility, but also about how the intense heat and physical discomfort of prolonged protesting (one thing few blogs have pointed out is, will there be enough toilets for everyone for an extended protest?) will affect these joyous protesters. Of course, many of the folks coming in from out of town are used to the heat of Isaan, but at some point, without solid rest at night, and protesting under the blazing sun all day, tempers may flare. It takes only one “hot-head” to pick a fight with someone who seemed to have nicked the hot-head’s sleeping mat, you know? That one dispute could devolved into violence.

BP: Thanks to the reader.

7:45 p.m. Bangkok Post:

A total of 46,377 people took part in the mass rally organised by the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) in Bangkok, the Ministry of Interior reported on Sunday evening.

The figure was compiled from the protest venues in Sanam Luang, Phan Fa bridge and King Rama V Equestrian Monument at 1pm.

Out of the total, 23,569 red-shirts were from the Northeast, 11,127 from the North, 4,190 from the central region, 3,667 from the East, 2,990 from the West and 834 from the South.

The demonstrators entered the capital via 13,385 pick-ups, 3,385 cars, 36 trucks, 60 buses, 17 e-tan farm trucks, 137 motorcycles, 115 vans and three train journeys.

This is quite different from other sources. Only 4,000 people from the entire central region including Bangkok? How do they know the breakdown? This sounds even stranger when you consider Thai Rath today citing a report from the Miinistry of Interior stating that 42,965 people entered Bangkok on March 13, this comprimises 10,892 people from the North, 23,283 people from the Northest, 2,700 from central region, 2,717 from the East, 2,540 from the west, and 834 from the South travelling in 2,405 pick-up trucks, 1,587 sedans, 36 trucks, 49 buses, and 107 motorcycles.

BP: It seems they took yesterday’s figures and added 10% – another 11,000 pick-up trucks transporting only 4,000 people??? (they don’t count the drivers???)

6:30 p.m. UDD held a press conference for the foreign press just before. One of the red shirt leaders, Dr. Weng stated that they would accept a promise by Abhisit that he would dissolve parliament in 3 months and not necessary for now (although a red shirt spokesman has contradicted this). The deadline for Abhisit to announce his decision is 12pm tomorrow. If this deadline was not met, the red shirts would then step up their actions. They stated they would move to unique parts of Bangkok.

BP: A journo source who has been protests says that the authorities estimated around 100,000 people at the red shirt protests last night, but from people at the protests today there was a significant increase in numbers between 3-6p.m today making it difficult to walk around. Estimated a minimum of 200,000 people, but scoffed at UDD statements of 600,000 people. Also, one red shirt leader stated that their main days of the protest will be March 14-16

4:40 p.m. Marwaan for IPS:

By Saturday evening, an estimated 80,000 anti-government protesters from the northern and north-eastern belts of Thailand had been ferried in to the capital in a scene never witnessed since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 1932, say analysts, who described it as “phenomenal” and “a historic moment.”
…
There was a festive air, with loud music playing, as a convoy of thousands of pick-up trucks, larger six-wheel vehicles, vans and buses clogged a main highway leading into Bangkok. They were cheered on by hundreds of people who lined the streets during the final 65-kilometre stretch from Wang Noi district, close to the historic city of Ayutthaya.
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Some of these “rural hordes,” as the pro-establishment English-language daily the ‘Bangkok Post’ contemptuously referred to this UDD assertion of strength, included the likes of Narong Unsri, a retired radio operator who had worked in a natural gas drilling company. The 62-year-old had journeyed for 12 hours with seven others in a van until Wang Noi. Others, like Ruakchai Sitilwan, employed in a marketing network, had spent 18 hours on the road with four others in a pick-up truck.

Nearly 80 percent of those from the 19 north-eastern provinces who had come in the convoy were farmers, says Narong, sipping on iced coffee. “We are going to Bangkok to tell the government that we need an election because this government is a hijacked government.”

BP: Indeed, rural “hordes”.

IPS article continues:

While the UDD’s target of one million protesters is far from being reached, the political significance of Thailand’s rural following camping out in the capital to influence political change has already been achieved.

“This is the biggest rally by rural people who have come to Bangkok making demands on national political issues,” says Thanet Aphornsuvan, a historian at Bangkok’s Thammasat University. “This is phenomenal. It should come as a shock to Bangkok’s political system.”

“It shows the capacity of rural political mobilisation of a new kind,” he added in an interview with IPS. “A long-held view that rural people vote governments in and Bangkok people get them out (through protests) is not absolute anymore. We are seeing the opposite of that today.”

The last time farmers of significant numbers flooded the streets of the Thai capital was in the early 1990s. An estimated 20,000 of them were brought in by the Assembly of the Poor, a network of non-governmental organisations, to protest against a range of specific issues from development and dam construction to land problems. They stayed for over a week outside Government House, the prime minister’s office.

Since then, farmers’ associations from the provinces have brought in smaller numbers to raise a cry outside Government House against unfair prices for their agriculture products. At most, these groups have mustered some 5,000 demonstrators.

“In the past, Bangkok has witnessed people from rural areas come to the capital for issue-based protests,” says Naruemon Thabchumpon, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University here. “This time, they want to take on national issues and want to come direct to the city to make their demands.”

“It is one step forward for democracy,” she explained to IPS. “We are seeing a new form of identity politics. They are proud to show that they are red shirts and happy to be identified with what the UDD is standing for.”

The Abhisit administration, however, sees the UDD rally in a different light. “I think it is being led by a personality cult,” Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said on Friday to a group of foreign correspondents, referring to Thaksin, whose face adorns many of the protesters’ shirts.

“The demonstrators are only backing one political personality,” he added. “We have answered their grievances through two (economic) stimulus packages.”

BP: Personality cult can also be used to refer to the PAD and particularly Sondhi’s role in things. The red shirts were more Thaksin-centric in the past and if you listen to snippets of the speeches from the UDD stage in recent times, Thaksin’s name is mentioned less and less. It is more about attacking the “elite”.

4:25 p.m. Bangkok Post:

A million-man mob or smaller, the protest is scheduled to peak today. It may continue for days in rolling demonstrations in the provinces. And the potential for mob violence is present any time there is a mob, even if the red shirt leaders and the world’s only fugitive ex-prime minister explicitly demanded a peaceful gathering.

But the “red tide rising” headline and the never-ending scare stories from the prime minister on down to the district chiefs and police put the nation under stress and on edge as it never has been before  in an actually peaceful week. As Day One of the 72-hour red shirt offensive proceeded in Bangkok, it was buyers’ remorse all over town. The crowds were small, the traffic was not noticably impacted, there was no violence. Even Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, the security chief, issued orders on Friday evening that the 50,000 (unarmed) security forces should not use violence

BP: One would almost think that we were in the southern border provinces given the level of troop numbers etc by the rhetoric.

3:45 p.m. Bangkok Bugle:

I’m home after spending a couple of hours walking up and down Rajadamnoen Avenue in Bangkok where most the red-shirt anti-government protesters are gathering. It’s hard to estimate just how many people, but for certain the numbers are growing by the hour. Policing is light and the mood of the protesters, at least when I was there, was jovial although seemingly determined

3:10 p.m. Thai Rath quotes red shirt leader Jatuporn that Thaksin will phone-in around 5-6 p.m. today

2:55 p.m. Reds issue an ultimatum as the Bangkok Post reports:

The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship on Sunday issued a statement from the main stage at Phan Fa bridge demanding that the government dissolve the House of Representatives within 24 hours.

BP: And if the government doesn’t dissolve parliament then what? This deadline was issued at midday so the deadline is 12pm on Monday.

This tidbit from the article was interesting:

Nathawut Saikua, a UDD leader, said the red-hirts would not negotiate with Korbsak Sabhavasu, the prime minister’s secretary-general, but would be glad to do so with Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban or Newin Chidchob, the de factor leader of the Bhumjaithai Party.

BP: Argh, so they want to talk to the people with power?

2:45 p.m. Thai Rath has photos and a news story on the red shirts travelling by boat to Bangkok. It says 400 people have come to Bangkok from Ayutthaya

2:25 p.m. Bloomberg:

Abhisit said 100,000 protesters joined the rally last night, a number he said didn’t exceed a similar protest against him last April that turned violent. Protest organizers said 150,000 turned up last night. Police put the figure at 70,000 and expected a similar number today, according to spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri.

AP:

Jatuporn said he expected a million people to gather by noon Sunday. But police Gen. Wichai Sangprapai, commander in the main protest area, estimated that the number of protesters throughout Bangkok could reach 150,000 Sunday.

Local newspapers estimated the numbers at between 80,000 and 100,000, although more were still arriving from outlying areas, traveling in trucks, buses, motorcycles and boats down the Chao Phraya River

The Times (UK):

At least 200,000 red-shirts from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UPD )were at the rally, and their leaders said they planned to continue the protest until the government resigned – or at least until next weekend.

BP: The Times speaks a diverse range of red shirt protesters, from a 45 year old lawyer from Pattani, a delivery man from the South, a retiree from Bangkok, a lecturer from Chiang Rai, and a cattle farmer from the Northeast.

The Times has a higher figure than some other news reports, but as with the other two articles there are listed as the most recent on Google news in BP’s query.

More people are still coming so it will have to be much later int he day before we have any idea on the numbers.