The Thai drugs campaign has left more than 2,000 people dead

Mr Thaksin told a rally in Bangkok that thousands of "bad people" had been arrested during the 10-month campaign.

He brushed off criticism from human rights groups that have accused police of murdering hundreds of suspected dealers.

Police have blamed most of the deaths on inter-gang violence.

Police say they have arrested about 90,000 people on drugs-related charges since the campaign started in February and have seized more than 40 million methamphetamine pills and assets worth 1.8bn baht ($45m) from suspected dealers.

"Some of the bad guys have died, and some of them are serving prison terms. I am ready to confront them in every way," Mr Thaksin said at a ceremony on Wednesday.

According to official statements, 2,245 drugs suspects were killed between 1 February and 30 April alone.

'Investigations needed'

Police say only a few dozen of the victims have been killed by police, and those have been shot in self-defence.

But London-based rights group Amnesty International criticised the Thai Government in a report last month for failing to initiate "independent, impartial, effective and prompt investigations" into the killings.

Charun Ditha-appichai of the National Human Rights Committee said he welcomed the government's commitment to stamping out drugs, but said it had caught few major traffickers.