have been camped in the grounds of Samak's offices for nearly two weeks, accusing him of corruption and demanding he quit.

The protesters have turned the elegant grounds of the heart of the Thai government into a scene that resembles a carnival, with a constant diet of music and political speeches. Samak and his ministers have been barred from entering their offices.

The cooking show, Tasting, Grumbling, a mix of tips on traditional Thai cooking and rants on subjects of his choosing, represents the most immediate threat to his power.

Samak had hosted the show for several years before he became prime minister, though it went off the air after the government appointed by the leaders of the 2006 coup closed down the state broadcaster.

On taking office Samak hosted several ofthe shows after the channel was resurrected, finally stepping down two months into the job.

Senators accused Samak of breaching the constitution by working for a private company while he is prime minister and filed a petition.

In court today, Samak said he was not employed by the television company but received a small fee and the cost of his transportation to the studio.

"I was hired to appear on the programme and got paid from time to time," he said. "I was not an employee of the company, so I did not violate the law. I presented the cooking show and got paid for my acting."

The managing director of the company that produced the programmes, Sakchai Khaewwaneesakul, testified that Samak was paid 80,000 baht (£1,250) for four shows.

"The presenters of