The increased helicopter activity, heard over several areas of Bangkok on Monday night, was part of security arrangements for the motorcade of Their Majesties the King and Queen, said Army Commander-in-Chief General Narongphan Chitkaewtae today.
The helicopter traffic, which went on for hours in the skies over central Bangkok, sparked rumours of an imminent coup on social media.
The army chief dismissed such rumours as “pure fantasy” as he advised reporters to get a lot of rest and not fall victim to fake news, or they could be “held accountable” for the consequences of such speculation.
He said that he is not in a position to advise any protest leader, who may spread fake news about a coup, but that he would like the media to be more cautious and to drop the word “coup” from their reports.
Commenting on the protest tomorrow at the Crown Property Bureau, the army chief said that it is the police’s responsibility to deal with the rally, and the army would only help only if there is a request from the police.
