Some 190,000 police will be posted around the country, particularly north in Thaksin's former strongholds and in the insurgency-plagued south where candidates have reported death threats from political rivals, police said. -- PHOTO: AP

Thailand's 45 million eligible voters will cast ballots Sunday in the first election since a September 2006 coup deposed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Some 190,000 police will be posted around the country, particularly north in Thaksin's former strongholds and in the insurgency-plagued south where candidates have reported death threats from political rivals, said police Gen Wichien Photphosri.

An additional 1,500 officers will be deployed to help the Election Commission investigate allegations of election fraud during polling, he said.

The beefed up security will be put in place on Wednesday and remain until all votes are counted, Gen Wichien said.

Violence against candidates is rare in Thailand, but attacks against political campaign workers is common.

Police said last month that hired gunmen were targeting local campaign workers and businessmen who switched sides and supported rival political candidates.

The Election Commission has requested an additional 4,000 soldiers in the insurgency-plagued south to guard polling stations and the roads that lead to them, said army spokesman, Col Akara Thiprote.

The soldiers will bolster a force of 16,000 troops already in the Muslim-dominated south, where violence has claimed at least 2,600 lives since 2004.

'We're going on the offensive,' Mr Akara said.

'I am quite confident the election will be safe and sound.' -- AP

Read also Record turnout for early voting in Thailand: official