Government forces to maintain order on Feb 2 election day

BANGKOK, January 31 (TNA) - About 130,000 police and 27 companies of Royal Thai Armed Forces officers will be deployed to jointly maintain peace and order on the coming Sunday's general election. Royal Thai Police Spokesman Police Major General Piya Uthayo told journalists on Friday that police and military officers will work together to provide security to 93,533 polling booths nationwide and to help avert possible confrontations between pro-government and anti-government groups of people and even any undesirable incident created by ill-intentioned persons. Meanwhile, National Police Chief Police General Adul Saengsingkaew revealed that authorities concerned agreed at their meeting earlier in the day that unusual movements were being prepared by anti-government protesters, aimed to disrupt the February 2 general election and obstruct transportation of ballots in several areas, including Bangkok. According to the national police chief, the 4th Army Area Command, tasked with security in the Thai far South, has been asked to help provide security for transporting ballots from local post offices to other provinces in the region, as the post offices have been seized by anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) protesters.(TNA)