PAD coordinator Suriyasai Katasila indicated that it is time Thaksin decides to end his political career, and that if Thaksin stayed abroad, the political situation would improve.

"If Mr. Thaksin wants to uphold the country's democracy as he has always said, he must sacrifice by ending his political role permanently; otherwise, the Thai state could be collapsed," Suriyasai was quoted by the official Thai News Agency as saying on Monday.

"I believe if Mr. Thaksin not to return home, but stay abroad, the current political turmoil will ease and then end. But if he asserts to return home, he must agree to be probed on his alleged corrupt practices, halt his intervention in official investigations and end his political role permanently," he added.

Suriyasai stressed that as long as Thaksin stays in politics, PAD will continue its rallies to expel him even after the next general election late this year.

The coalition coordinator noted that the PAD rally on Sept. 20, to be joined by several state enterprises' labor unions, would be meaningful significantly as it would definitely persist until Thaksin decided to leave politics as demanded.

"We can't wait for Mr. Thaksin to decide to leave politics by himself, but pressure him until he agrees to end his political role permanently," said Suriyasai.

The coordinator conceded, however, that PAD is to be especially careful in organizing and controlling Wednesday's mass rally to prevent any undesirable incident by "third hands" following frequent bomb attacks in the country's deep South recently.

Sondhi Limthongkul, a PAD core member, told journalists on Monday afternoon that the anti-Thaksin group will not give up this time until Thaksin steps down himself.

"I've decisively decided to lead the demonstration until PAD achieves its goal -- expelling Mr. Thaksin from Thai soil," he asserted.

"Though I must sacrifice my life, I'll never allow Mr. Thaksin to return home again," he was quoted by the state-run Thai News Agency as saying.

After a lull, the anti-Thaksin coalition, consisting of civic groups across Thailand and some foreign countries, has reactivated its role both in Bangkok and even at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States.

The coalition earlier urged all other movements against the caretaker prime minister to join the Bangkok demonstration, set to begin at the Democracy Monument on Rajadamnoen Klang Avenue before marching to the Royal Plaza Wednesday evening.

Sondhi, a media mogul turned Thaksin's arch critic and opponent, told journalists on Friday that the planned rally intends to express a shared view among the various anti-Thaksin movements that the caretaker premier should not return home when his overseas missions end on Sept. 21.

Thaksin said earlier that he would return to Bangkok on Sept. 22 following the end of the missions abroad.

The Thai leader left home a week ago to first attend the 6th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in the Finnish capital of Helsinki from Sept. 10-11. He flew to the Cuban capital of Havana for the 14th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit, scheduled for Sept. 14-16, after a two-day rest in London and then headed for New York to attend the 61st United Nations General Assembly from Sept. 17-21.

PAD has led Thaksin's critics and opponents in pressing him for a political break since early this year, causing a political standoff between pro- and anti-Thaksin groups in Thai society.

The PAD attempt is apparently resuming as the next general election is approaching -- following a temporary break during the country's grand celebration of the King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60 years on the throne in mid-2006.

The alliance, formed after the sale of Shin Corporation's shares, Thailand's then largest telecommunication firm, to Singapore's Temasek Holdings by Thaksin's family, now steps up its demand that Thaksin leave politics permanently.

PAD members in New York reportedly plan to also stage a protest against Thaksin in front of the U.N. headquarters.

Meanwhile, ruling Thai Rak Thai (TRT) Party Spokesman Sita Divari appealed for an end of PAD-led demonstrations, particularly in areas where there are strong supporters of the prime minister, in order to avoid any escalated turbulence and to maintain peace and order domestically.

He suggested, instead, that the protestors wait to express their views on Thaksin's political future through ballots they cast in the next general election late this year.