The People's Alliance for Democracy Saturday accused Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of spending at least Bt300 million to organise the Friday rally in his support.

Sondhi Limthongkul, a leading member of the PAD, said Thaksin spent Bt100 million to hire 3,000 buses and 5,000 vans to transport people from provinces to Sanam Luang on Friday and spent another Bt200 million to hire the people to attend the rally.

Sondhi said each bus was accompanied by a district official.

Sondhi said this indicated that Thaksin could spend a lot money to buy support from grassroots people to perpetuate power.

Pnet coordinator Somchai Srisutthiyakorn told a press conference that the Pnet would participate in monitoring the election only after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra resigned to pave way for another caretaker government and the election date is postponed to be at least 60 days after the House dissolution.

Kalapaea Dutta, representative of the Asian Network for Free Election, told the same press conference that her organisation saw that the April 2 snap election would not be fair as there was only one major party to contest it.

She said her organisation would not monitor it for fear that it would be regarded as endorsing the fairness of the election.

It was a surprising change of mind for Surapol, who earlier disagreed with the idea of "divine intervention" as a solution to the ongoing political stand-off. A source said the academic changed his mind after a talk with a "respected and prominent" figure.

Surapol said in his letter Thaksin should resign and ask His Majesty the King to appoint a caretaker prime minister to run the country and call a new election with a schedule that is fair to all parties.

He urged all political parties to enter into a "social contract" to ensure political reforms were made through amendments to the Constitution.

The open letter was addressed to the premier and leaders of the three main opposition parties, which are boycotting the April 2 snap election.

Senators Chirmsak Pinthong and Karoon Sai-ngam yesterday echoed calls for a royally-appointed administration during a panel discussion on "What Lies Ahead for Thai Politics", at Naresuan University.

In a related development, university administrators said before last night's rally they were worried it would inflame public sentiment, a university president said.

"Even though the government was supposed to ease tension, it chose to fan it by mobilising a crowd to outshine its opponents," Prince of Songkhla University president Prasert Chitapong said.

The government appeared to have spent a lot of money to transport rural people here for a show of support for Thaksin at Sanam Luang, Prasert said.

Thaksin should resign from his post to end social divisions, but he has snubbed his opponents by flaunting his supporters and making provocative comments.

Leaders from selected state universities will meet today at Chulalongkorn University to map out a common stand on how to end the political tension.

Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, vice rector for student affairs at Thammasat University, said he was afraid Thai politics might degenerate into a "bandit parliament", with Thai Rak Thai securing all 500 seats in the lower House during an election boycotted by opposition parties.

He said voters could "de-legitimise" the April 2 snap election by ticking the No Vote box on the ballot, thereby pre-empting a massive Thai Rak Thai victory.

"A vote for no vote is an act of public disobedience against an illegitimate election. It will show that, for the people, candidates [contesting in the election] are unacceptable," Prinya said at a seminar on "Thailand: Post-Thaksin" or-ganised yesterday at Thammasat University.

The scholar added that if voters overwhelmingly opted for the No Vote option, the new government - very likely another Thai Rak Thai government - would have a short life, enjoying legitimacy only so long as it took to amend the Constitution.

Prinya, a student leader during the Black May uprising in 1992, urged students to launch a "Vote for No Vote" campaign with messages on stickers, flags, posters and badges.

Senator Kraisak Choonhavan, another speaker at the seminar, said he was worried that members of the public might have become addicted to Thaksin's "quick-fix" political utilitarianism, ignoring the morality of government initiatives.

"Many Thais appreciated the extrajudicial killings of some 3,000 people allegedly involved in the narcotic business, although the international community condemned [the campaign]," he explained. He urged Thai people to change their political attitude by giving priority to politicians demonstrating probity and integrity. He also lent his support to Prinya's "Vote for No Vote" campaign.

Economist Krirkkiart Pipat-seritham said the new government should focus on sustainable economic growth and political stability. During the Thaksin era, 59 per cent of the national wealth had become concentrated in the hands of a rich few, he said