Thai protesters' answer to water cannons: Inflatable yellow pool ducks

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters took over a major Bangkok intersection on Sunday, defying a ban on gatherings and stern warnings from authorities for the fourth consecutive day.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader the protesters seek to oust, is concerned about the spreading protests and the government wants to talk, his spokesman said.

The youth-led movement has suffered several blows this week, with scores arrested after demonstrators surrounded a royal motorcade and flashed a pro-democracy salute to Queen Suthida during a Wednesday protest.

The government reacted by imposing "serious" emergency measures banning gatherings of more than four and allowing for the arrest of protest leaders, many of whom are calling for the removal of Prayuth, a former military chief first brought to power in a 2014 coup.

Prayuth's spokesman said the prime minister feared the protests, which have spread across the country of 70 million, could be used by troublemakers seeking to instigate violence.

Police also deployed water cannon against unarmed demonstrators on Friday in Bangkok's central shopping district in an escalation of tactics that drew outrage across Thai society.

But the crackdown has emboldened the movement's mostly young supporters who have turned up in large numbers to daily guerrilla protests around Bangkok.

The locations are announced an hour before to outwit authorities, who shut down much of the city's Skytrain and underground rail services to discourage people from joining in.

Thousands descended on the major traffic thoroughfare from 4:00 pm (0900 GMT) shouting "Free our friends" while carrying posters of arrested activists.

Among their demands is the abolition of a draconian royal defamation law -- which shields King Maha Vajiralongkorn from criticism -- and a call for the monarch to stay out of the country's turbulent politics.

Once-taboo in Thailand, the issue of royal reform demanded by protesters is one of the biggest challenges facing the kingdom's conservative military-aligned government.

The social media-savvy protesters have also harnessed unorthodox ways of spreading their messages, sending alerts through newly formed groups on Telegram -- a secure messaging app -- and taken tips from Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests.

Police made no immediate steps to intervene as protesters took over Victory Monument and Asok, two of Bangkok's most important transport hubs. Police said there were around 10,000 people at Victory Monument alone. A spokesman said there was no plan to suppress the protest there.

During demonstrations by tens of thousands of people at multiple points across Bangkok on Saturday, protesters painted a flag on the road with "Republic of Thailand" written across it. The writing was painted out overnight.

The government banned demonstrations in Bangkok on Thursday.

Across Thailand, demonstrations were being organised in at least 19 other provinces on Sunday. Solidarity protests were also being held or planned in Taiwan, Denmark, Sweden, France, the United States and Canada.

(with inputs from agencies)

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters took over a major Bangkok intersection on Sunday, defying a ban on gatherings and stern warnings from authorities for the fourth consecutive day.

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters took over a major Bangkok intersection on Sunday, defying a ban on gatherings and stern warnings from authorities for the fourth consecutive day. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader the protesters seek to oust, is concerned about the spreading protests and the government wants to talk, his spokesman said. The youth-led movement has suffered several blows this week, with scores arrested after demonstrators surrounded a royal motorcade and flashed a pro-democracy salute to Queen Suthida during a Wednesday protest. The government reacted by imposing "serious" emergency measures banning gatherings of more than four and allowing for the arrest of protest leaders, many of whom are calling for the removal of Prayuth, a former military chief first brought to power in a 2014 coup. Prayuth's spokesman said the prime minister feared the protests, which have spread across the country of 70 million, could be used by troublemakers seeking to instigate violence. Police also deployed water cannon against unarmed demonstrators on Friday in Bangkok's central shopping district in an escalation of tactics that drew outrage across Thai society. But the crackdown has emboldened the movement's mostly young supporters who have turned up in large numbers to daily guerrilla protests around Bangkok. The locations are announced an hour before to outwit authorities, who shut down much of the city's Skytrain and underground rail services to discourage people from joining in. Thousands descended on the major traffic thoroughfare from 4:00 pm (0900 GMT) shouting "Free our friends" while carrying posters of arrested activists. Among their demands is the abolition of a draconian royal defamation law -- which shields King Maha Vajiralongkorn from criticism -- and a call for the monarch to stay out of the country's turbulent politics. Once-taboo in Thailand, the issue of royal reform demanded by protesters is one of the biggest challenges facing the kingdom's conservative military-aligned government. The social media-savvy protesters have also harnessed unorthodox ways of spreading their messages, sending alerts through newly formed groups on Telegram -- a secure messaging app -- and taken tips from Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests. Police made no immediate steps to intervene as protesters took over Victory Monument and Asok, two of Bangkok's most important transport hubs. Police said there were around 10,000 people at Victory Monument alone. A spokesman said there was no plan to suppress the protest there. During demonstrations by tens of thousands of people at multiple points across Bangkok on Saturday, protesters painted a flag on the road with "Republic of Thailand" written across it. The writing was painted out overnight. The government banned demonstrations in Bangkok on Thursday. Across Thailand, demonstrations were being organised in at least 19 other provinces on Sunday. Solidarity protests were also being held or planned in Taiwan, Denmark, Sweden, France, the United States and Canada. (with inputs from agencies)

Thai democracy protesters defy ban for fourth day, PM seeks talks

Pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of Bangkok Saturday as a rally expected to draw tens of thousands of people kicked off calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy.

Thailand has seen near-daily gatherings of youth-led groups since mid-July demanding the resignation of Prayut, the former army chief behind the 2014 coup, and a complete overhaul of his administration.

Some are also demanding reforms to the kingdom's ultra-wealthy and powerful monarchy -- a once-taboo topic in Thailand due to its tough royal defamation laws.

The burgeoning movement, partly inspired by Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests, remains largely leaderless.

But the weekend's demonstration is organised by students of Bangkok's Thammasat University -- a group that has been among the most vocal about the royal family's role in Thailand.

A crowd of several hundred gathered before noon at the locked gates of the university, demanding to be let in. Protesters chanted "Down with dictatorship, long live democracy!" and "Prayut get out!"

"If you don't open, we will break in," protesters yelled, before forcing the gates open -- despite student leaders calling for calm -- allowing hundreds to flow into the campus.

The demonstration was later expected to move on to the historic Sanam Luang field in front of the royal palace, where protesters plan to spend the night.

"We are fighting for more democracy," prominent student activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul said on the eve of the protest.

"The plan is not to destroy the monarchy but to modernise it, to adapt it to our society."

On Sunday, demonstrators are expected to march to the nearby Government House -- a move authorities have warned against.

The show of force is expected to be the largest since the 2014 coup -- student activists are hoping for a turnout of more than 50,000 supporters.

Police said some 10,000 officers would be deployed around the area.

- Force to be reckoned with? -

A cycle of violent protests and coups has long plagued Thailand, with the arch-royalist military stepping in to stage more than a dozen putsches since the end of royal absolutism in 1932.

The latest wave of student-led demonstrations has largely been peaceful.

But unprecedented calls from some protesters for frank discussions about the monarchy have sent shockwaves through the kingdom.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn sits at the apex of Thai power, buttressed by the kingdom's military and billionaire clans, and commands a fortune estimated to be worth up to $60 billion.

The student demands include greater accounting of the palace's finances, the abolition of royal defamation laws and a call for the king to remain outside of politics.

They also want a rewrite of the 2017 military-scripted constitution, which they say tilted last year's election in Prayut's favour, and for the government to stop "harassing" political opponents.

So far, authorities have arrested more than two dozen activists, charging them with sedition before releasing them on bail.

The weekend demonstrations will prove a test for the pro-democracy movement, analysts say, which has gained momentum online thanks to the students' savvy use of social media.

"A critical mass would send a clear message that the protesters are a force to be reckoned with," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University.

Prayut has warned Thailand could be "engulfed in flames" if the movement goes too far.

But he vowed authorities would use "soft measures" on the protesters "because they are children".

The top-trending hashtag on Thai Twitter late Friday was "Sept 19, we take back the power of the people".

Around the world, Thais are expected to gather in solidarity, with weekend protests planned in a dozen countries, including Germany, Australia and the United States.

Pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of Bangkok Saturday as a rally expected to draw tens of thousands of people kicked off calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy.

Pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of Bangkok Saturday as a rally expected to draw tens of thousands of people kicked off calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy. Thailand has seen near-daily gatherings of youth-led groups since mid-July demanding the resignation of Prayut, the former army chief behind the 2014 coup, and a complete overhaul of his administration. Some are also demanding reforms to the kingdom's ultra-wealthy and powerful monarchy -- a once-taboo topic in Thailand due to its tough royal defamation laws. The burgeoning movement, partly inspired by Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests, remains largely leaderless. But the weekend's demonstration is organised by students of Bangkok's Thammasat University -- a group that has been among the most vocal about the royal family's role in Thailand. A crowd of several hundred gathered before noon at the locked gates of the university, demanding to be let in. Protesters chanted "Down with dictatorship, long live democracy!" and "Prayut get out!" "If you don't open, we will break in," protesters yelled, before forcing the gates open -- despite student leaders calling for calm -- allowing hundreds to flow into the campus. The demonstration was later expected to move on to the historic Sanam Luang field in front of the royal palace, where protesters plan to spend the night. "We are fighting for more democracy," prominent student activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul said on the eve of the protest. "The plan is not to destroy the monarchy but to modernise it, to adapt it to our society." On Sunday, demonstrators are expected to march to the nearby Government House -- a move authorities have warned against. The show of force is expected to be the largest since the 2014 coup -- student activists are hoping for a turnout of more than 50,000 supporters. Police said some 10,000 officers would be deployed around the area. - Force to be reckoned with? - A cycle of violent protests and coups has long plagued Thailand, with the arch-royalist military stepping in to stage more than a dozen putsches since the end of royal absolutism in 1932. The latest wave of student-led demonstrations has largely been peaceful. But unprecedented calls from some protesters for frank discussions about the monarchy have sent shockwaves through the kingdom. King Maha Vajiralongkorn sits at the apex of Thai power, buttressed by the kingdom's military and billionaire clans, and commands a fortune estimated to be worth up to $60 billion. The student demands include greater accounting of the palace's finances, the abolition of royal defamation laws and a call for the king to remain outside of politics. They also want a rewrite of the 2017 military-scripted constitution, which they say tilted last year's election in Prayut's favour, and for the government to stop "harassing" political opponents. So far, authorities have arrested more than two dozen activists, charging them with sedition before releasing them on bail. The weekend demonstrations will prove a test for the pro-democracy movement, analysts say, which has gained momentum online thanks to the students' savvy use of social media. "A critical mass would send a clear message that the protesters are a force to be reckoned with," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University. Prayut has warned Thailand could be "engulfed in flames" if the movement goes too far. But he vowed authorities would use "soft measures" on the protesters "because they are children". The top-trending hashtag on Thai Twitter late Friday was "Sept 19, we take back the power of the people". Around the world, Thais are expected to gather in solidarity, with weekend protests planned in a dozen countries, including Germany, Australia and the United States.

Thai protesters kick off weekend of rallies

Dozens of activists held a rare protest on Thursday over&nbsp;air&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;in&nbsp;Bangkok, a day after&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;officials closed schools due to concern over the impact.

Levels of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/several-initiatives-have-been-taken-to-abate-control-air-pollution-in-delhi-ncr-prakash-javadekar-263629">air&nbsp;pollution</a>&nbsp;in the capital, the world's most visited city, have hovered at unhealthy levels over the past month over 100 on the&nbsp;air&nbsp;quality index.

The index breached the 151 threshold seen as dangerously unhealthy for the general public late last week, and continued to climb until it hit 163 on Monday, according to monitor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/gurugram-worlds-most-polluted-city-20-indian-cities-in-top-25-reveals-greenpeace-report-201232">AirVisual</a>.

<img alt="​​​​Air Pollution" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3630e97c-1142-4d55-a9e1-d42f20d06667" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2865%29_2.jpg" />

Schools were closed for the day on Wednesday, and by Thursday the index dropped back to 121.

The activists, wearing&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;masks, said they were marching to the Government House because of authorities' inaction.

"Air&nbsp;pollution&nbsp;affects everyone ... it is life and death for all of us," said Tara Buakamsri,&nbsp;Thailand director for environmental group Greenpeace, as cars and motorcycles sped by emitting smoke.

Particles found in dust, soot and smoke and small enough to lodge deep in the lungs and enter the bloodstream, known as PM 2.5, were measured at unhealthy levels for 23 of the past 30 days in&nbsp;Bangkok, data from&nbsp;AirVisual showed.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/thailand-pm-prayuth-chan-ocha-faces-first-opposition-challenge-as-he-sets-out-plans-238318">Prayuth Chan-Ocha</a> said healthy people such as himself could manage and those in risk groups should be aware of their tolerance levels and wear masks.

<img alt="​​​​Air Pollution" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1978642f-95f5-4949-98df-5c6f94a1fb81" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2867%29_0.jpg" />

His comment angered some of the activists.

"Pushing the burden on the people like this is not something an efficient government would do," said Chonlatorn Wongrussamee, one of the&nbsp;protesters.

Tara said protecting the environment and health did not damage economic development but went hand in hand with it at the demonstration, which the activists said was the first such protest in two years.

When they reached the government headquarters, a senior official in the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Nopadol Phonsen, came out to speak to them, telling them officials were meeting to discuss measures to tackle the issue.

<img alt="​​​​Air Pollution" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9661dedd-bc1e-4ab9-b3e6-c0d927ea50e7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2866%29_0.jpg" />

"We're all under the same sky. We want the&nbsp;air&nbsp;we breathe to be clean and healthy," he said.

The city's last moderate&nbsp;air&nbsp;quality day, when the index was between 51 and 100, was January 4., and there has been no "good"&nbsp;air&nbsp;reading in the past 30 days, according to&nbsp;AirVisual data.

Dozens of activists held a rare protest on Thursday over air pollution in Bangkok, a day after Thai officials closed schools due to concern over the impact. Levels of air pollution in the capital, the world's most visited city, have hovered at unhealthy levels over the past month over 100 on the air quality index.

Dozens of activists held a rare protest on Thursday over air pollution in Bangkok, a day after Thai officials closed schools due to concern over the impact. Levels of air pollution in the capital, the world's most visited city, have hovered at unhealthy levels over the past month over 100 on the air quality index. The index breached the 151 threshold seen as dangerously unhealthy for the general public late last week, and continued to climb until it hit 163 on Monday, according to monitor AirVisual. Schools were closed for the day on Wednesday, and by Thursday the index dropped back to 121. The activists, wearing pollution masks, said they were marching to the Government House because of authorities' inaction. "Air pollution affects everyone ... it is life and death for all of us," said Tara Buakamsri, Thailand director for environmental group Greenpeace, as cars and motorcycles sped by emitting smoke. Particles found in dust, soot and smoke and small enough to lodge deep in the lungs and enter the bloodstream, known as PM 2.5, were measured at unhealthy levels for 23 of the past 30 days in Bangkok, data from AirVisual showed. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said healthy people such as himself could manage and those in risk groups should be aware of their tolerance levels and wear masks. His comment angered some of the activists. "Pushing the burden on the people like this is not something an efficient government would do," said Chonlatorn Wongrussamee, one of the protesters. Tara said protecting the environment and health did not damage economic development but went hand in hand with it at the demonstration, which the activists said was the first such protest in two years. When they reached the government headquarters, a senior official in the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Nopadol Phonsen, came out to speak to them, telling them officials were meeting to discuss measures to tackle the issue. "We're all under the same sky. We want the air we breathe to be clean and healthy," he said. The city's last moderate air quality day, when the index was between 51 and 100, was January 4., and there has been no "good" air reading in the past 30 days, according to AirVisual data.

Thai protesters demand action as air pollution clouds Bangkok

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Thai protesters' answer to water cannons: Inflatable yellow pool ducks

Thai democracy protesters defy ban for fourth day, PM seeks talks

Thai protesters kick off weekend of rallies

Thai protesters demand action as air pollution clouds Bangkok