* Thousands-strong anti-government rally expected
* Activists want new elections, seek to attract middleclass
* Investors confident PM will weather storm, boost stocks
By Martin Petty
BANGKOK, March 20 (Reuters) - Thousands of oppositionactivists prepared to fan out across Thailand"s capital onSaturday in a bid to win the hearts of Bangkok"s middle classesand recruit them for their anti-government campaign.
The red-shirted supporters of ousted former Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra were mobilising in convoys of motorcyclesand pickup trucks to hand out leaflets and draw in Bangkokresidents for their push for new elections.
The mass rally, which drew up to 150,000 people lastSunday, has so far been peaceful, boosting investor sentimentand helping to lift Thai stocks .SETI to a 20-month high.
Foreign investors have in the last month pumped 35.5billion baht ($1.09 billion) into the bourse, one of Asia"scheapest, much of that based on confidence that Prime MinisterAbhisit Vejjajiva"s government will ride out the storm.
Although fatigue and the sizzling Bangkok sun has persuadedmany protesters to return to their rural provinces, tens ofthousands have remained in the capital for a rally leaders saidwould continue for at least another two weeks [ID:nSGE62I0ET].
"We are asking Bangkok people to join our non-violentmovement if they hate double standards and hypocrisy," WengTojirakarn, a protest leader, told the crowd on Friday.
The "red shirts" say big businessmen, royal advisers, armygenerals and court judges have colluded to undermine electedgovernments, and want people in the city of 15 million to jointheir rally and help return power to the people. They say the Oxford-educated Abhisit, who enjoys the backingof an influential establishment elite and the politicallypotent military, is illegitimate and should step down. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^ Take-a-Look at the political crisis, click [ID:nTHAILAN D] Scenarios of possible outcomes, click [ID:nSGE62D00C] Q+A about the "red shirts", click [ID:nSGE62D00D] Analysis on the protests, click [ID:nSGE62F040] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The "red shirts" believe that by broadening their supportbase, the mostly grassroots movement stands a better chance ofprolonging the rally and bringing down the government.
THAKSIN STIGMA
Abhisit has been blocked from his office and parliament andhas taken refuge at a military base. He insists the country istoo divided to face a general election right now.
Analysts said the "red shirts" had earned many sympathisersin six days of non-violent rallies but face an uphill struggleto bring the politically powerful middle classes fully onboard.
Many in the capital remain staunchly opposed to Thaksin, aformer telecommunications tycoon derided by opponents as acorrupt autocrat who abused power to enrich his familybusiness.
Pitch Pongsawat, a political scientist at ChulalongkornUniversity, said many residents sympathised with the movement,but chafed at the prospect of being labeled a Thaksinsupporter.
"They have many followers in Bangkok, but these people areambivalent because of the stigma of Thaksin," he said.
"The Thai media is their obstacle, it portray the "redshirts" as blind followers of Thaksin, which means if you jointhem, you approve of Thaksin."
Thaksin lives in self-imposed exile, mostly in Dubai, andhas delivered rousing video-link addresses to the "red shirts",many of whom brought him two landslide election wins and remainloyal because of his populist policies. (Editing by Ron Popeski)
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