BANGKOK - THAILAND'S election commission has approved a new political party set up by the 'Yellow Shirt' protest movement which blockaded Bangkok's airports last year, a spokesman for the body said Thursday.

Calling themselves the New Politics Party, the group formerly known as the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) had posted its papers with the Election Commission three weeks ago after three years of street-level activism.

'The commissioners have now approved the registration of the New Politics Party. It's a unanimous decision as the submitted documents were considered to fully comply with the law,' said commission spokesman Ruengroj Chomsueb.

The party must now find 5,000 members and set up four regional offices within one year, he said.

The ardent royalist group helped topple prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra with mass rallies in 2006 and reformed with tens of thousands of yellow-clad supporters last year to protest against his allies in government.

The 2008 demonstrations peaked in the seizure of Bangkok's two main airports in late November-early December, which left more than 300,000 travellers stranded in Thailand for more than a week and caused massive economic damage.

The New Politics Party says its aim is to promote a 'clean politics' free from corruption and symbolised by adding green to the yellow of its group logo. Mr Suriyasai Katasila, secretary-general of the New Politics Party, said PAD activists would continue to fight alongside the party.

'Our five PAD leaders will remain a strong driving force to pursue our goals while we use our political party as a tool in the main arena,' Mr Suriyasai told a news conference.

As the PAD, the group had the support of Bangkok's elite and circles in the palace, military and bureaucracy, who loathed Mr Thaksin. Mr Thaksin is currently in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail sentence for corruption.

Thailand's rival 'Red Shirts,' mostly loyal to Mr Thaksin, plan a mass rally in Bangkok on Saturday. In April they forced the cancellation of a major Asian summit and then rioted for two days in Bangkok. -- AFP