Minutes before 8 a.m. (01OOGMT) on Sunday, at the No. 20 polling station in Payathai district, Bangkok, dozens of Thais appeared on time and waited in line for registration to cast their votes in the country's first general election 15 months after a military coup ousted the former elected government.

The voters, arriving in couples or families, checked their own names on the registration book, reviewed profiles of election candidates on the wall, and read through the voting regulations for confirmation. They are supposed to mark the sign "X" on the two ballot papers -- one for constituency MP(s) election the other for a favorable political party in the party-list MPs election, and cast them into two separate ballot boxes.

A woman nicknamed Chabpo, became the first one to cast vote at the polling station.

Chabpo, in her 40s, told reporters that she and her husband, who came along with her to vote, got up early this morning to prepare for the voting officially started at 8 a.m. throughout Thailand.

Chabpo said she wanted to be among the earliest voters to demonstrate people's will to see stability and peace return to the country, which has gone through political chaos for two years, as early as possible.

Even earlier than Chabpo were reporters and photographers, some of whom have been waiting since 6 a.m. (2300GMT) to catch a shot of Thailand's Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, who was expected to cast his vote at the Payathai polling station, where his home resided.

The prime minister, in a yellow shirt and wearing glasses, appeared at around 9:30 a.m. 0230 GMT in tight security guard.

Surayud posed for camera when casting his ballots, took a few questions from reporters before leaving.

With the 88,500 polling stations around the country are ready to serve the 45 million eligible voters, Surayud called on the voters to come out in the remaining hours of the day to exercise their rights to bring the country back to democratic system and restore stability in the nation.

The station where he balloted, which can accommodate about 700 to 800 voters, has seen more 100 voters cast ballots in less than two hours since the official start at 8 a.m, the premier noted.

Judging from the enthusiasm, Surayud said he expected a high voter turnout during the election.

Asked to comment on the last 15 months the country has gone through after a military coup ousted the former elected government led by Thaksin Shinawatra, Surayud said it was the "most difficult time", but he said "we are looking into the bright side of the future."

He also said Thailand welcomed the monitoring of the international organizations to ensure the election be conducted fairly and transparently.

Surayud was appointed to head the interim government after the military top brass launched a bloodless coup to oust the Thaksin Shinawatra administration on Sept. 19, 2006.

Earlier in the morning, two leading racers in the election -- the People Power Party (PPP) leader Samak Sundaravej and the Democratic Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva cast their votes.

Both are contesting as party-list MP candidates in Bangkok, and the candidates for respective parties to become the next prime minister.

Earlier public opinion polls have put the PPP, seen as a nominee party for the ousted premier Thaksin, on top of the 39 contesting parties, followed by the Democrat Party, the oldest political party in Thailand.

A 55-year-old driver Tanatarn Siriphatcharasakul told Xinhua that he believed people should come out to vote for the country's and their own benefits.

"An election is always better than a coup," he said. Tanatarn had cast his vote in the advance voting on Dec. 15 and Dec. 16, while his wife and children are voting on Sunday.

Although he himself and other family members might have voted for different political parties and candidates, said Tanatarn, people are ready to accept any result of the election, no matter which party will win, if it would bring harmony back to the country.

Some 200,000 soldiers and security personnel have been fielded around Thailand to provide duty on Sunday. No major disorder during the voting have been reported by noon.

The balloting on Sunday will close at 3 p.m. local time (0800GMT). The Election Commission is expected to announce the initial results around 9 p.m.(1400GMT).

(Xinhua News Agency December 23, 2007)