Pattaya police broke up a peaceful rally by university student activists calling on the government to hold an election next year as promised.
Sirawit “Ja New” Serithiwat and his New Democracy Group rallied about 100 people from Pattaya and elsewhere on Beach Road near Central Pattaya Beach March 4.
Out on bail after being arrested for a similarly peaceful protest at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok last month, Sirawit is calling on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to keep his promise of holding an election in February 2019, pointing out that he has broken election-date promises five times already.
Sirawit claimed the world is not seeing anything positive from this government and it should give Thais a chance to elect their own leaders.
Prayut in late February pledged that Thailand would be returned to democracy within a year, but almost immediately began hedging those comments.
The rally did not last long. Police and military personnel swooped in, claiming the group did not have a permit for the protest and was disturbing the peace with loud music.
Authorities blocked sidewalks with tree branches to prevent vehicles from accessing the area and ordered the demonstrators to disperse or face arrest.
The rally ended peacefully, but not before Sirawit invited everyone to attend the next protest on March 10 in Bangkok.
