An in-law of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is poised to be voted in by MPs as Thailand's new PM, in a move that could further inflame anti-government protesters.
Parliament has opened its session on electing 61-year-old Somchai Wongsawat, a day after the ruling party mended an internal rift and unified around his candidacy.
More than two thousand police and soldiers are deployed around the building.
Somchai was education minister and became acting PM after Samak Sundaravej was forced from office last week when a court found him guilty of violating the constitution, by accepting pay for hosting TV cooking shows.