Members of the Thai Senate on Monday blasted the government's four-month performance as thousands of protestors laid siege to the cabinet's offices demanding its resignation.

"After four months in office, the government's performance has been a complete failure," Senator Sumon Sathariyawat said, launching a debate on the performance of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his ministers, who assumed their posts Feby 6.

Mr Samak, the leader of the People Power Party (PPP), which won the largest number of seats in the December 23, election, has come under mounting pressure to resign for failing to address escalating economic woes and concentrating instead on constitutional amendments that might bring former premier Thaksin Shinawatra back to power.

"I want Samak to reconfirm whether he is Thaksin's nominee or not," Sumon said. "If he confirms he is a nominee, he has no dignity."

Samak, 73, agreed to allow the Senate debate Monday, which is to be followed by a no-confidence debate in the House of Representatives Tuesday and Wednesday, as a means of defusing political tension.

No vote would take place after the Senate debate, and the government, which holds 313 of the 500 seats in the lower house, was expected to win the no-confidence motion Wednesday. (dpa)