Thai protest leader, junta chief in talks since 2010

Thai protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban said that he had advised junta chief Prayuth Chan-ocha on ways to uproot Thaksin Shinawatra's regime since 2010, media reported Monday.

Suthep, leader of the anti-government People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), made his statement at a dinner Saturday which suggests that Prayuth was plotting to bring down former prime minister Yingluck Shinwatra, since 2010 when she was the defence minister, Bangkok Post.

"Before martial law was declared, Prayuth told me, 'Khun Suthep and your masses of PDRC supporters are too exhausted. It's now the duty of the army to take over the task'," Suthep said.

Suthep also said that he chats regularly to Prayuth and his team via the Line chat app.

He had consulted Prayuth since the 2010 political unrest on how to root out the so-called Thaksin regime and join hands to reform the country, fight corruption, and dissolve colour-coded politics that divided Thais.

"We spent almost 1.4 billion baht (around $43,100) on our movement over the past six months. Another 1 billion baht (around $30,700) was from cash donations from our supporters," the PDRC leader said.

Over the past months, the military was aware of the PDRC's objectives as the group stepped up pressure on civil servants and soldiers to join the movement, Suthep said.

The military had adopted several PDRC proposals such as measures to help farmers.

Suthep called on his supporters to back the military.