Bangkok, Jan 17 (IANS): Thai caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Friday said the best way for protestors to get rid of her caretaker government is to vote it out even as the number of people injured in a blast in a protest march by her opposition earlier in the day rose to 36.

"If people want whoever to take care of the new government, they should use the vote (in the Feb 2 general elections in the country)," Xinhua quoted Yingluck as saying at a press conference for a group of foreign media.

"We have to keep democracy. We would like to see an election happen as soon as possible," she said.

Yingluck reiterated that she could not just step down and it was her duty stipulated by the Constitution to remain in the caretaking position until the elections.

Under the present Constitution, even if the prime minister chose to resign, she would still have to be in office to perform duties until a new government was formed, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Phongthep Thepkanchana said at the press conference.

The best way for protestors to oust the caretaker cabinet is get the elections done, Phongthep added.

Yingluck also vowed to do her best to maintain peace in the current situation.

"If the government hasn't been patient, the last two months would have seen a lot of violence," she said.

Earlier Friday, a homemade bomb thrown at a protestors' march at noon in Bangkok left at least 36 people injured, according to the latest figures from the Erawan Emergency Medical Services Centre of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

It has been reported that the bomb exploded near the area where protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban was staging a rally. Suthep was escorted to an unknown location.

The Erawan Emergency Centre had earlier said that 20 people were being treated for injuries caused by the bomb blast, reported the Bangkok Post.