Thida Thawornseth was unanimously elected chairwoman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), dubbed Red-Shirt, at a meeting of core members at a department store in Bangkok on Wednesday.

The election result was announced by Pheu Thai party-list MP Wiphuthalaeng Pattanaphumthai, a prominent figure of the UDD, who chaired the meeting.

Thida has been named as an acting chairman since the bloody dispersal of the UDD demonstration in May 2010 as most of the key leaders was arrested or fled.

In response to the selection, Thida said she was glad to have been confirmed in the position and thanked all concerned for electing her.

Thida elaborated further that she planned to restructure the UDD at regional levels and set up schools to help educate the people.

The chairwoman is the wife of Red-Shirt key member and Pheu Thai party-list MP Weng Tojirakarn.

The UDD, backed by the ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and the currently ruling Pheu Thai Party, had staged widespread and prolonged protests against then Democrat-led government in 2009 and 2010.

Their three-month demonstration in 2010 ended mid-May as the government decided to disperse the protesters by military forces which eventually resulted in 91 deaths and nearly 1,900 injuries.