Sondhi launches campaign to pressure Anutin government

Sondhi Limthongkul formally announced his “Take Our Thailand Back” campaign on Monday (September 7, 2026), saying it would pressure the government to tackle alleged illegal business networks rather than demand its resignation.

He had announced on Sunday (September 6) that he would submit a protest letter to the Israeli embassy in Bangkok the following day. However, the letter had not been delivered by the time he held Monday’s press conference.

The former leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) outlined the campaign alongside fellow movement leaders at Baan Phra Athit. No street march accompanied the announcement, which he said was intended to explain the movement’s direction and reasons for mobilising.

Sondhi alleged that some Israeli business operators were among foreigners using Thai nominees to conduct illegal or “grey” businesses. He cited these allegations and what he described as growing discontent among local people as reasons for launching the campaign.

Pressure over alleged illegal business networks

Sondhi said the proposed street mobilisation was not a call for the government to resign or be removed. Instead, he said, the authorities had a responsibility to act against alleged “grey” business networks involving Chinese, Jewish, Indian, Russian and Thai operators.

He demanded that the government stop wrongdoing and cease protecting Chinese and Jewish operators allegedly involved in illicit activities. Sondhi said new rules had been introduced and that one person he described as a Jewish “grey” business operator had already been deported.

“I do not want to bring down this government, but I do want to make life uncomfortable for it,” he said.

He argued that sustained public demands could push the government into action, citing the deportation. Pressure from his supporters could make Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul “stop singing and dancing” and take decisive action, he added.

Sondhi urged people to unite behind demands for rights, fairness and equal enforcement of the law, saying Thailand must uphold its dignity and belong to Thai people.

“If I have to die in the struggle to take Thailand back for us, I am prepared to die,” he said.

“Many people dismiss my movement as an ‘old-timers’ mob, but that does not matter. If you believe in what you say, there is nothing to fear. Even if I am the only one left, I will fight.”

Data centre approvals and flood relief criticised

Sondhi linked the campaign to broader complaints about foreign business groups, nominee arrangements and the ownership of land and other assets in Thailand. He argued that weak law enforcement had allowed these problems to persist and accused the government of neglecting national and public interests.

His criticism also covered what he described as preferential treatment for large corporate groups, accelerated approvals for data centre projects and delays in compensation and recovery payments for flood victims in Hat Yai.

Anutin, who also serves as interior minister, had earlier rejected the premise of the campaign, saying: “Thailand belongs to all Thai people, so there is no need to take it back.”

Sondhi countered that the remark did not reflect the problems facing the country. He questioned whether the authorities were adequately confronting “grey” business networks and applying the law equally.

Questions over planned Phuket religious gathering

Separately, plans for a large gathering at Chabad Patong in Phuket to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, have drawn objections from some residents and questions about permission to hold the event.

The announced programme covers September 11–13 at the centre on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong, Kathu district, with event hours listed as 4pm to midnight. Organisers reportedly expect around 2,000 Israeli participants from around the world.

Participants have been invited to make donations and attend religious observances associated with the Jewish New Year and the Sabbath, including Tashlich, a ritual symbolising the casting away of sins.

Some residents opposing the gathering have alleged widespread inappropriate behaviour by Israeli visitors, including breaches of Thai law and disregard for local customs. They have also questioned whether the organisers have obtained permission from the relevant authorities.

Organisers maintained that they had already sought permission from the responsible local agencies. However, when asked about the reports, Phuket’s governor said he would check the matter. The event’s approval status remained unclear.

Yellow Shirt protests and airport occupations

Sondhi began organising anti-Thaksin protests in late 2005 before co-founding and leading the PAD, which was formally established in February 2006. Its supporters became widely known as the “Yellow Shirts” because they adopted the royal colour to demonstrate loyalty to the monarchy.

The demonstrations of 2005–2006 mobilised large crowds against then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Protest leaders accused his government of corruption, conflicts of interest and hostility towards the monarchy. The mobilisation contributed to the political deadlock that preceded the September 2006 military coup that ousted Thaksin.

After Thaksin’s political allies won the late-2007 election, Sondhi rallied the PAD back onto the streets in 2008. The campaign escalated from the occupation of Government House to the seizure of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports later that year.

The airport occupations halted flights, stranded travellers and caused severe economic disruption. They ended after the Constitutional Court dissolved the governing People Power Party and forced then-prime minister Somchai Wongsawat from office, setting the stage for a change of government.

For his latest campaign, Sondhi said he and his network would not stop with the embassy letter. After submitting it, they planned to bring together supporters across the country to hear the campaign’s case and decide whether to join further calls to “take Thailand back”.