Bangkok  - A lady-in-waiting to Thai Queen Sirikit has denied plotting an assassination attempt on Sondhi Limthongkul, a leader of last year's political protests, media reports said Sunday.

Thanpuying Viriya Chavakul told INN television that she had no knowledge of a plot to kill Sondhi on April 17.

"The thought of having Mr Sondhi killed never crossed my mind," said Viriya, a close aide to the queen who admitted to having ties to the military top brass through her charity work.

Sondhi, who survived the attack of 100 bullets on his car with minor injuries, initially planned a "tell-all" press conference on who was behind the assassination attempt on Friday but postponed the event.

As bullet casings with Royal Thai Army engravings were found at the scene of the shooting, the attack has been linked to the military for weeks.

In previous interviews Sondhi has said a "certain lady close to the palace was one party among many who 'chipped in' to have him killed," the Bangkok Post reported.

Sondhi is a leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), a lose coalition of groups adamantly opposed to the return to power of coup-ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The PAD held six months of uninterrupted street protests last year, culminating in their seizure of Bangkok's two airports for a week. They only called off their demonstration after the downfall of the previous pro-Thaksin coalition government on December 3.

In several of his speeches to the PAD last year, Sondhi - the owner of the Manager media group - hinted of having support from the queen, a move that allegedly angered some members of the military, sources said.

Sondhi, in an exclusive interview with The Nation newspaper, said factions within the military and "old style" politicians were behind the attempt on his life.

"The attempt on my life happened because they see me as the biggest obstacle to their scheme," he told the English-language newspaper.

He implied that certain generals were manoeuvring to form an alliance with Newin Chidchob, a veteran politician whose Bhumjai Thai party is deemed a likely leader of the next government.

"Any military commander would be happy about having two things: control over the secret funds and a mutual relationship with Newin," Sondhi said. (dpa)