Police expect about 76,000 protesters at the weekend rally to demand the resignation of the government organised by the Pitak Siam group, and authorities are worried that agitators could stir up violence during the protest.
The projection by the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) is close to the earlier estimate by the pro-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).
UDD leader Jatuporn Prompan earlier predicted a turnout of 30,000 people on Saturday and 40,000 more on Sunday.
Pol Maj Gen Adul Narongsak, the MPB spokesman, said the protestewrs were expected to start gathering at Royal Plaza at 9am on Saturday.
About 30,000 police and 150 military police will be deployed to control the crowd, according to national police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew.
Protesters from the provinces are reported to be travelling to the capital. They have encountered police checkpoints in many areas.
In northeastern Surin province, all police stations were ordered to check all vehicles around the clock.
Pol Maj Gen Chaithat Inthanujit, the provincial police chief, said police would only search for weapons suspected of being transported to the demonstration site at the Royal Plaza.
However, Siripong Waidee, an anti-government leader in Surin, said police were trying to deter people from joining in the rally in Bangkok.
UDD members in some provinces, including southern Songkhla province, voiced loud opposition to the rally, saying that it would cause damage to the country and the democratically elected government.
Pitak Siam, led by retired Gen Boonlert "Seh Ai" Kaewprasit has organised an anti-government rally on Saturday and Sunday and promised a peaceful gathering.
The government on Thursday announced that three districts -- Pomprap Sattruphai, Phra Nakhon and Dusit -- were under the provisions of the Internal Security Act (ISA) until Nov 30 due to concern that the demonstration could turn violent. The ISA gives authorities greater power to arrest protesters and ban rallies.
The government has set up a Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order, under the command of police chief Pol Gen Adul, to oversee the situation.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung insisted on Friday that the ISA was necessary, and that some groups wanted to the protest to turn violent in an effort to bring down the government.
Tarit Pengdit, chief of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), warned protesters to stay away from Government House, the parliament and other government offices. DSI officials would closely monitor the rally and record the events as evidence, he added.
"Any plan by the protesters to seize government offices, including the parliament and Government House, would be a violation of the law and protest leaders must bear the responsibility for this,'' he warned.
Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut attacked the decision to invoke the ISA, saying that the government over-reacted to the situation. The ISA was pushing the anti-government protesters into the category of the government's enemy, he added.
The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) on Friday gave school directors in the rally zone authority to decide whether classes will be cancelled on Monday, Sayan Rungpasak, director of the Education Zone 1 Office in Bangkok, said.
The education office ordered 15 secondary schools in the rally zone closed on Friday.
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