Cellphone operators received instructions about sending out the text messages on behalf of the PM as early as Monday.

True Move said it has sent 12 million such messages, but is yet to check how many people have responded. Advanced Info Service and Total Access Communi-cation only sent messages to their post-paid subscribers - all two million of them.

AIS got 4,000 replies, while of the 600,000 DTAC subscribers who got the message, 1 per cent replied.

Cellphone operators expect to finish sending the messages in a few days.

Cellphone operators will not advertise for political parties, but they will volunteer if the request comes from the government.

Different reactions

However, a telecom industry source says some subscribers called in to say they didn't want the message.

"You have to understand that there are some people who like this government and some who don't," said the source.

Some users said they didn't know how to reply, while others said they would rather not spend the Bt3. In fact, some said they felt their privacy was being compromised and plan to file charges against the prime minister.

The Consumer Protection Institute of the National Telecommunica-tions Commission says people can file their complaints with them.