Anti-government protesters this morning set a 10-pm deadline tonight for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to step down, or they will escalate their protests.
Led by Mr. Chatupat Boonpatthararaksa, alias Pai Daodin, who was freed from the Bangkok Remand Prison yesterday by the Appeals Court, protesters blocked the Ngamwongwan Road, in front of the prison, to demand an immediate release of all political activists still under detention. The protesters spent thenight there.
Chatupat joined the protesters immediately after he stepped out of the prison. More people arrived to join the protest, until the road in front of the prison was completely blocked.
The protesters have demanded the release of another eight key protesters still held at the prison. Among them are Parit Chivarak, Ms. Panasaya Sitthijirawattanakul and Panupong Jardnok, alias Mike Rayong.
Drawings of those on remand were raised by some protestersoutside, as others wrote anti-Prayut remarks on a long sheet of white cloth.
Throughout the night, musicians played music and sang anti-establishment songs, interspersed with speakers delivering anti-government and anti-Prayut speeches.
Chatupat reiterated this morning that Prayut must resign by 10 pm today or the protests will escalate, but he did not elaborateon what form this would take.
At about 5am this morning, the protesters reopened two out-bound lanes of the road to traffic.
