BANGKOK, Feb. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Unprecedented high-number of Thais on Sunday turned out at poll stations around the country to cast their ballots for the general election.

Thai police stands guard while voters wait in line to vote at a polling station on February 6. (Reuters)

    "I came early to vote, for I've to go back school later today," said a university student giving her name as Ladaiy.

    The girl in her twenties told Xinhua that she voted for the party-list candidate of the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party. "The government has had good performance over the past four years and concretely improved our lives ," said she.

    Behind her, a short line of voters have formed in front of the temporarily-established poll station on Bangkok's bustling Yawarat Road, a century-old street famous for its dense population and large number of Chinese-Thai residents.

    In a bid to keep the election fair and prevent vote buying, authorities keep journalists and photographers behind a yellow line around the open tent used as a poll station. 

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra casts his vote during the country's general elections in Bangkok February 6.

    The second general election under Thailand's 1997 constitution is expected to draw a record high turnout rate of 70 percent, the Election Commission said earlier.

    Tens of thousands of people on Saturday poured into railway and bus stations to get back to their home town to cast votes, according to local media reports.

    More than 20 parties have registered their candidates for the election, which will select 500 members for the new lower house of the parliament. The party winning half of the seats will form the new government.

    However, studies carried out by local think-tank and media predicted that only four parties will have a say in the election, namely the ruling Thai Rak Thai, the largest opposition Democrat, Chat Thai and Mahachon.

    Moreover, the Thai Rak Thai Party led by the Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to win the election and the suspense of the campaign hangs over at the point as whether Thai Rak Thai can win a majority of 350 seats as they planned.

    Under the Thaksin government's four-year rule, Thailand has successfully recovered from the financial crisis of 1997 and the Thai economic reached a 6.7 percent growth rate, topping in southeastern Asia and following China as the second in whole Asia.

    Farmers and average civilians have also witnessed concrete improvement of life quality due to a series of low-interest loan and foundation projects, while the kingdom's middle-class constituency concerns with corruption and human rights accusations against the government.

    Meanwhile, critics and oppositions warn of one-party rule or "dictatorship" if Thai Rak Thai achieves its goal of 350 seats, when no opposition party can launch non-confident debate in the parliament and the government can amend constitution as its will.

    Democrat, the largest opposition party, therefore set its goal for this elevation as to win 201 seats so as to balance the power in parliament.

    "I'll vote for Democrats, just to prevent Thai Rak Thai from getting 350 seats and growing so powerful," a 37-year-old Bangkokian told Xinhua. Enditem