The Thai government will deploy 18,000 security personnel to maintain law and order at the upcoming ASEAN Summit slated for October 23-25, the Thai News Agency reported.

This is one of security measures to be taken to ensure security at the ASEAN Summit’s venues discussed at a meeting held by the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) on October 9.

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and attended by the country’s top security leaders, also approved the establishment of a security command centre to facilitate their operations at the summit venues.

The leader of the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), Nattawut Saikua, said on Oct. 9 that his organisation plans to hold a demonstration in Bangkok on October 11.

He said that the demonstration will take place at the Democracy Statue from 4:00 pm until mid-night with the participation of many red-shirted people, who will call for the reapplication of the 1997 Constitution and protest the government’s six amendments to it.

Meanwhile, General Secretary and Coordinator of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) Suriyasai Katasila said that the PAD will resume street demonstrations in opposition to the government’s plan to modify the existing constitution./.