BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai army chief General Anupong Paojinda denied Wednesday that the military was planning a coup after a top general joined in an anti-government protest.

"The military will not stage a coup. Political problems must be solved through politics, and a coup will not solve any problem," Anupong told reporters.

Fears of a coup have rippled through Bangkok since royalist protesters from the so-called People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) began staging daily anti-government rallies nearly seven weeks ago.

Although the rallies are generally small, their influence is substantial because they are seen as reflective of the opinions of Thailand's elite.

The PAD led protests in 2006 against then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, creating political instability that eventually led the military to topple his government.

Worries about a new coup heightened after one of the military's top advisers, General Phathompong Kasornsuk, appeared in full uniform late Tuesday on the PAD's stage.

Phathompong, the top adviser to the military's Supreme Command, strongly criticised Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej for supporting Cambodia's bid for a disputed Hindu temple to receive World Heritage status from the UN cultural agency.

"Everybody attacked the junta-backed government, calling them dictators, but the junta government never did anything bad like this. How can the elected government do such a thing?" Phathompong was quoted as saying in Thai media.

Phathompong is far less powerful than army chief Anupong, but his appearance at the rally surprised the public for his break with the military's neutral stance.

The PAD is calling for Samak's resignation, and also wants to eliminate most elections for parliament, making 70 percent of the seats filled through a vague appointment process.

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