Security tight at Government House, though Prayut has his fans
Security was tightened at Government House on Tuesday as demonstrators – who are demanding that an election be held sooner than planned – vowed to march there.
Today (May 22) is the fourth anniversary of the National Council for Peace and Order, the military junta that overthrew the elected Yingluck Shinawatra government in 2014 and remains in power.
Led by the Democracy Restoration Group, the hundreds-strong assembly of demonstrators planned to march from Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus to Government House to call for an election this year rather than in February as planned. They also want the junta to step down.
Police barricades outside the campus held them in place, at least temporarily.
Deputy Police Commissioner Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul and Deputy Commissioner of Tourist Police Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakpan were monitoring the security situation.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, after taking his normal route to work, enjoyed a morning by meeting with actors from a pro-military TV series and had his picture taken with singer Pakorn Lam.
Asked how he would “take care” of the pro-election assembly, Prayut succinctly replied that he would “take care of the press first”.