Thailand's anti-government red- shirts will start their planned rally at local time 1:00 p.m. (GMT 06:00) Saturday, a core leader of the group said.

Bangkok Post online quoted Nattahwut saikua as saying on Saturday morning that the rally, officially start at 1:00 around the Government House, will not move to any other places and will peacefully disperse at midnight.

The red-shirted supporters of the United front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) began to gather since late Friday night at Chami Marichet bridge in front of the Government House.

The UDD, who support the convicted ex-premier Thaksin shinawatra and filed a petition for his royal pardon two months ago, hope this afternoon's rally can pressure the government to speed up the processing of the petition, which they say is delayed.

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga on Friday denied the UDD's allegation that the government was delaying consideration of its petition, saying it is being examined by the Corrections Department.

The peace keeping centre, which takes charge of security keeping under the Internal Security Act (ISA) imposed in this area in Bangkok, has deployed more than 6,000 security forces, comprising 23 companies of police and 18 companies of soldiers, near the prime minister's office, other major state agencies, and around the Government House.

Thai government has invoked ISA in Bangkok's Dusit District from Oct. 15 to 25 in the wake of UDD's announcement that they were going to hold two mass rallies on Saturday and Oct. 24