Coalition politicians and security advisers braced themselves yesterday for the red shirts' mass rally starting today in the capital that is viewed as setting the stage for an "all-out battle" to force the government out of office.

Sources from the administration and security agencies estimate that 25,000 to 35,000 protesters would gather at Government House.

If this final push fails to bring about any significant political change, the government would stay in power for a long time, the sources said.

Some 5,000 to 6,000 supporters from the provinces would be brought by MPs belonging to the opposition Pheu Thai Party and 15,000 would come from Bangkok alone, according to estimates.

Others would join the rally as detractors of the government, the ruling Democrat Party and the People's Alliance for Democracy, or simply as observers, the sources said.

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