Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej on Thursday dismissed claims he would resign. "Don't even think I am going to quit," he said. "The country needs a leader, and the world is watching us."

Some media reports (not the Bangkok Post) featured reports that Mr Samak would step down to meet a demand from the leaders of the 102-day street protest in Bangkok.

But Mr Samak, in a 50-minute speech carried nationwide via the Radio Thailand network, said he will not bow to the demands of anti-government protesters.

"I cannot leave because under a democratic system no one group can force me to resign."

During the speech, carried in two parts with a two-minute break at 8am for the national anthem, the prime minister was calm and sounded upbeat, as he reviewed events of recent days, and said that events would eventually become smooth "in order to protect democracy".

"I am going to stay in office, and protect democracy," he said at the end of the first part of his speech.

"I am the captain of this boat (Thailand) and I must take all the people on the boat to the end of our voyage."