THAILAND. Bangkok: Governor Aswin Kwanmuang announced on Saturday closures while imposing stricter disease control measures for places that remain open amid almost 200 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the capital.
Places include entertainment venues, amusement parks, floating markets, boxing stadiums, beauty salons, massage places, nursing homes, and fitness centers are temporarily closed until 17 January.
While some places like movie theaters, public parks, restaurants, and shopping malls remain open, they are asked to strictly comply with disease prevention and control measures. Those measures are temperature check, social distancing, mask mandate, sanitization, hand washing, and registration through government-developed application.
Bangkok along with other 27 provinces are designated as red-zoned areas, the areas that reported over 51 cases.
Later on the day, Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan ordered schools in those provinces to close until 31 January while asking schools to apply long-distance learning and online learning approaches.
Since the new outbreak began on 20 January, Thailand discovered 3,158 confirmed cases with three deaths.
THAILAND. Bangkok: On the last day of the year that was filled with anti-establishment protests, police arrested at least 16 activists while they were setting up shrimp markets.
After the new wave of the pandemic hit seafood businesses, volunteer protest guards gathered at the Royal Plaza on 31 December to sell fresh and barbecued shrimps as a part of their New Year’s Eve event.
Prachatai reported that hundreds of riot police with shields and batons violently dispersed the area and arrested 12 activists shortly after the stall was put up. They then moved their event location to 14 October Memorial where another four activists faced arrest.
BREAKING: Apparently selling seafood is illegal now? Police move in to arrest pro-democracy activists while they were selling shrimp at Sanam Luang earlier today. The stall was set up by We Volunteer, a group of protester volunteer guards. #Thailand#KEpic.twitter.com/tn5IbVuVfz
Police took detainees to Region 1 Border Police Bureau in Pathum Thani. Among 16, two of them are minors.
BBC Thai reported that police pressed three charges: violation of the Emergency Decree, which bans large gatherings due to COVID-19, violation of the Communicable Diseases Act, and Public Advertisement Act.
Thai government once lifted the gathering ban under the state of emergency amid the anti-government protests. It came back last week. Violators can face up to 2 years in jail or 40,000 Baht fine. The decree was noted to grant authorities too much power.
COVID-19 and seafood businesses
Following the new wave of the coronavirus outbreak that was initiated in a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon, seafood businesses took the biggest impact, as several local media reported.
A seafood store in Chiang Rai faced 50% decline in their sales despite its profitable usual business during this time of the year.
Bigger loss came after Samut Sakhon Provincial Governor Veerasak Vijitsaengsri tested positive for the virus after he tried to build confidence in eating seafood by getting shrimps from a market in the province.
Since 20 December, there have been 2,686 new cases discovered and 1 death. That brings Thailand to 6,884 cases with 61 deaths.
The elections happen for the first time in at least six years since the military coup in 2014. Voters across 76 provinces, excluding Bangkok, will elect their chief executives of the provincial administrative organisations (PAO), and PAO representatives.
According to BBC Thai, this is the first time people aged 18-26 are voting as the last local elections happened in 2012. Around 7.3 million voters are first-time voters.
In recent months, the ongoing anti-government protests took the national spotlight, this is the first time residents outside Bangkok have the opportunity to voice their opinions through elections. Most local candidates are from government parties and opposition parties.
#20ธันวาไปเลือกตั้ง go vote for a better Thailand. We hope for the best result. The people's participation is low, but elections define the future of a country. Go vote. Take care too. Until 5 pm! Exercise your right to claim it! pic.twitter.com/xwGERDW34b
Following the discovery of 689 new COVID-19 cases relating to an outbreak at a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon, the province immediately went into lockdown.
The restrictions including the closure of the market, schools, shops, and department stores in Samut Sakhon were enforced. Restaurants switched to take-out only. Migrant workers are banned from leaving the province. The provincial government also imposed a night curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Despite that, the governor encouraged Samut Sakhon residents to still go out and vote for the elections after as he said the province has taken a step to decrease maximum capacity at each poll. He also asked voters to put on masks when going to polls.
The outbreak in Samut Sakhon started when a 67-year-old woman without travelling history tested positive for the virus on 17 December. The Disease Control Department suspects that the origin of the virus came from Burmese migrant workers at the shrimp market who made up 90% of those positive cases.
Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Kiattipoom Wongrajit said more testing is underway, and there will be more cases.
New cases bring Thailand to a total of 4,907 cases, as of 20 December morning, with 60 deaths.
THAILAND. Bangkok: A youth-led democracy group submitted a petition on 10 Dec, to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council demanding it and the international community to put pressure on the Thai government to repeal the lèse-majesté law and to drop all lèse-majesté charges against anti-establishment activists.
The petition states that the law was enforced after it has not been used for two years, but the problems with the law are that its interpretation is vague and excessive. People who faced lèse-majesté charges in the past did not tend to be released on bail even though they did not intend to flee their cases, according to the petition.
Photo credit: Chatwan Mongkol
Following the anti-establishment movement aiming to reform the monarchy, at least 24 activists have been summoned by the police on the lèse-majesté charges in recent weeks, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
The law was in place to protect the royals from public criticism. It states in the constitution that “whoever, defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the heir-apparent or the regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years.”
Photo credit: Chatwan Mongkol
Former lèse-majesté prisoners were also at the event to speak about their severe experiences facing the lèse-majesté.
Even though the law has not been enforced for two years, dissidents still faced legal actions under other laws such as sedition laws and computer crime law.
Despite the small number of crowds, the authorities put up shipping containers and razor wires at an intersection next to the UN building, blocking people from heading to the Government House, in the middle of the night hours before the scheduled event.
The event was one of the two events on 10 Dec, that revolved around the abolition of the lèse-majesté law. Besides it being International Human Rights Day, it is also Constitution Day in Thailand.
THAILAND. Bangkok: The Royal Gazette of Thailand announced on 21 October that there will be a special parliamentary meeting starting on 26 October for the benefit of the country as the House Speaker requested and the cabinet has approved it.
This is a way to accomplish one of the protesters’ demands of enacting the people’s amendments to the constitutions. It came after a full week of anti-government protests following the imposition of the state of “severe” emergency in the Bangkok area, which gave the government a lot of legal powers, and crackdowns.
The three demands of protesters are the Prime Minister’s resignation, enactment of people’s constitutions, and the monarchy reform.
PM to lift the Emergency Decree
On the evening of 21 October, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asked for the de-escalation of both sides. His speech was televised through the national television broadcast.
“I will make the first move to de-escalate this situation,” the Prime Minister said. “I am currently preparing to lift the state of severe emergency in Bangkok and will do so promptly if there are no violent incidents.”
As he spoke, protesters were marching from the Victory Monument to the Government House to demand his resignation. They faced several police obstructions but were able to deliver their demands to representatives of the government. They said Chan-o-cha must resign within the next three days or they will escalate their movements.
The only fair way for everyone is to discuss the matters through the parliamentary process, the Prime Minister said.
“It is a slow process, but it is one that best avoids injury to our nation,” he said. “We must show the maturity and patience to take the middle path.”
While he acknowledges the demands, he said both sides must step back before they cause chaos and more violence.
As for the crackdown on 16 October, the Prime Minister acknowledged peaceful protesters with good intentions for the country. However, he said there were “terrible crimes being committed against the police using metal rods and huge cutting implements in brutal attacks, with the aim of severely wounding fellow Thais.”
Tonight's protests in Thailand: Riot police moved in on Protesters with water canons & teargas in downtown Bangkok. After hours of trying to push back the Protesters retreated and regrouped. The protest crowd has been very smart in moving quickly without too much confrontation pic.twitter.com/J6SLgqksst
THAILAND. Bangkok. The fourth order under the severe state of emergency signed on 16 Oct. orders the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) and Digital Economy and Society Ministry (MDES) to monitor and suspend the broadcasts of five online news outlets.
Voice TV, Prachatai, The Reporters, The Standard, and Free Youth are on the list. The hashtag #saveสื่อเสรี (save free media) trended on Twitter immediately after the order went viral.
According to the Emergency Decree that was imposed in response to the ongoing anti-government movements, the authorities can ban content that creates fear and misinformation that can affect national security.
PPTV reported that the MDES is preparing to take legal actions with content that violates the Emergency Decree and the Computer Crime Act. MDES Minister Puttipong Punnakanta said the ministry found over 300,000 illegal URLs, and the owners’ identifications are underway. He also said some online news outlets will also be prosecuted.
Following the order, The Reporters, The Standard, and Voice TV released statements reassuring their journalism missions. All of them continue their reporting.
It was reported on 16 Oct. that posting on social media — including encouraging others to protests, spreading misinformation, checking in, and posting photos of themselves at the protests — is illegal; and violators can face up to two years in jail and up to 40,000 Baht fine. The report stated 10 people have already been charged.
Attempting to ban Telegram
Another platform that protesters use to communicate is Telegram, a Russian application. On 19 Oct., Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) released the tenth order under the Emergency Decree that suspends the use of the application.
Telegram has been used in the recent days after Free Youth’s and United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration’s Facebook pages posted that their pages might be taken down by the MDES.
As of 9:30 p.m. of 19 Oct. (ICT), Free Youth’s chat group has 200,000 members while the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration has over 37,000 subscribers on Telegram.
The Thai government isn’t the only one that tried to block Telegram, the Russian government already tried and failed according to Reuters.
THAILAND. Bangkok. Pro-democracy protesters are escalating their movement after a state of emergency was declared following a confrontation between protesters and a royal motorcade.
After three months of calling for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s resignation, a new constitution, and monarchy reform. The state started to respond.
13 Oct: First confrontation, arrests made
A day before a scheduled demonstration at the Democracy Monument, several protesters from the Northeastern part of Thailand showed up to organize a small protest. 21 protesters were arrested that day.
As the King’s motorcade was scheduled to pass by that area, one of the protesters announced that they would be doing a three-finger salute sign while the motorcade was passing by. The police asked the crowd to disperse, but protesters said they had the right to peacefully assemble.
The motorcade passed by around 5:30 p.m., as Prachatai reported, remaining protesters stood at the side while doing a three-finger salute and chanting “bring our friends back.”
Following the incident, BBC Thai reported that protesters moved from the Democracy Monument to gather in front of the Royal Thai Police Headquarters. Around 500 people demanded the release of 21 protesters.
Meanwhile, BBC Thai also reported that the King, his daughters, and the Queen came out from the Grand Palace to greet their supporters after the memorial ceremony of the late King Rama 9 who passed away four years ago.
14 Oct: Yellow-shirt group, occupying Democracy Monument, marching to Government House, confronting with the Queen’s motorcade
Starting at 8 a.m., pro-democracy protesters started to gather at the Democracy Monument as scheduled, they announced before that they had no intention of obstructing the royal motorcade as one was scheduled to pass Ratchadamnoen Avenue, the site of the protest.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that around 1,000 people with the police haircut wearing yellow shirts were around the area; yellow is known as the King’s color in Thailand. While the social media spotted many yellow-shirted people being brought to the site by the government’s trucks, local media reported that many of them were ordered to greet the royal motorcade. According to the Bangkok Insight, there were some clashes between the two groups, but they were minor.
Before they marched to the Government House around 2 p.m., protesters entered the Democracy Monument area. They cleared out the garden and seized the area.
While protesters were walking to the Government House and facing several police obstructions, some protesters were already at the destination where the Queen and Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti’s motorcade passed by. Protesters were yelling at them while demanding the release of other protesters, according to BBC Thai.
This prompted responses from the Prime Minister as his spokesperson said he ordered the police to press charges against protesters who obstructed the motorcade, according to Thai PBS. He said the protest was disruptive and undermining the governance and the happiness of the Thai people.
Meanwhile, protesters arrived around 7 p.m., announced that they were going to camp in front of the Government House overnight. They said they would disperse at 6 a.m. the next day.
Protesters were marching from the Democracy Monument to the Government House. Photo credit: PrachataiRiot police were guarding the Government House. Photo credit: PrachataiProtesters gathered in front of the Government House on the night of 14 October 2020. Photo credit: Prachatai
15 Oct: State of emergency, first crackdown, more arrests made, defying gathering bans
The Prime Minister imposed the “severe” state of emergency in Bangkok at 4 a.m. citing illegal protests, civil unrest, the motorcade incident, and national security. According to iLaw, the Emergency Decree allows the authorities to arrest and detain, summon individuals for questioning, seize communicating devices, search and destroy premises, and ban gatherings of more than five people. It was also reported that people who post their photos at any protest site can face up to two years in jail and up to 40,000 Baht fine.
After the Emergency Decree was put in place, the Associated Press (AP) reported that riot police started to disperse the protesters. Around 20 protesters, including the organizers, were arrested.
Protest leaders called for another protest at Ratchaprasong intersection where many top shopping malls are located, at 4 p.m. despite the ban.
Protesters aimed their phone flashlights to riot police at the protest at Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok, Thailand on 15 October 2020. Photo credit: Prachatai
Throughout the day, many protest leaders were arrested, charged with sedition and violation of the Emergency Decree, and imprisoned.
While the opposition parties opposed the decree’s imposition, Matichon reported that over 100 military personnel were stationed at The Parliament.
Even though the police discouraged people from gathering, thousands of people showed up. Shopping malls nearby, including Central World, closed early. There were some clashes as protesters broke the police lines to occupy the area.
Similar protests broke out in Chiang Mai, Uttaradit, and Chonburi, according to Prachatai. They demanded the release of “their friends.”
Police said they would be dispersing the protesters at 6 p.m., but it did not happen. Protesters ended their rally at 10 p.m. before announcing that they would come back the next day at 5 p.m.
16 Oct: Violence against The Queen charges, violent crackdown, water cannons and chemical substances used
ThaiRath reported that two protesters, Ekkachai Hongkangwan and Bunkhueang Paothong, were arrested with charges of committing an act of violence against the Queen (Section 110). The warrant came after the incident on 14 Oct. They can face 6-20 years in prison or life sentences. Paothong was released on bail but Hongkangwan did not request bail so he was imprisoned.
As the protest was scheduled at the same location at 5 p.m., local media reported that police took control of the area by closing the traffic at the intersection by 3 p.m. As a result, protesters moved the site to Pathumwan intersection, which is about 1 kilometer away.
All public transportation near the intersection was suspended— several BTS train stations were closed, an express boat pier nearby was blocked, and buses and vans were not allowed in 5 kilometers distance.
Around two hours into the protest, riot police lined up in front of the protesters while demanding they disperse. After protesters refused, the police started to use water cannons in an attempt to take control of the area. Protesters used umbrellas to form a wall to protect themselves.
Prachatai reported that high-pressure-blue-colored water infused with chemical substances was shot into the crowds, Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), and teargas were used. Protesters started to disperse. Police arrested over 100 people and one of them was Prachatai’s reporter.
BBC Thai reported that Chulalongkorn University, which is in the area, opened its doors as a safe spot for the protesters.
Opposition parties, netizens, and international organizations condemned the government crackdown.
The authorities said their dispersion was according to the international standard.
I’m very worried about the information on crackdown on protesters in #Thailand.The “severe state of emergency”declared &the arrests in Bangkok are stifling freedom of assembly. The government needs to allow protesters to exercise their rights & seek dialogue, not suppress them.”
— UN Special Rapporteur Freedom of Association (@cvoule) October 16, 2020
Meanwhile, the palace released a pre-recorded tape of the King’s speech about the country’s need for patriots and monarchists.
Earlier before the protest, the Prime Minister refused to resign. He extended the Emergency Decree until 13 Nov.
17-18 Oct: Traffic shutdown, several protest sites across the country
The protest networks did not reveal the protest site for the day, but they asked protesters to stand by at all skytrain stations at 3 p.m. so they could be ready to travel to the site upon announcement while telling protesters to protest at the stations in case of closure.
Before that happened, all the MRT and BTS stations were closed. PPTV reported that police closed many intersections and streets across Bangkok.
Protest on 17 Oct. took place around Bangkok with three main spots at Ladprao intersection, Wongwian Yai, and Udomsuk. Along with these three sites, protesters gathered throughout the city as well as 17 other provinces.
Similar tactics were used on 18 Oct. The main protest site in Bangkok was at the Victory Monument. Over 20 other places across the country hosted protests as well. Despite the gathering ban, several thousands of people came out after two about an hour of the site’s announcement on both days to defy the imposition.
THAILAND. Bangkok. Protest leaders from over 30 pro-democracy groups will organize another mass rally on 14 Oct. at Democracy Monument in Bangkok to echo their three demands, according to Khana Ratsadon’s (People’s Party) press conference at the Royal Plaza on 8 Oct.
Their three demands are that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his team must resign, that the parliament must immediately hold a parliamentary session to pass the people’s amendments to the constitution, and that the monarchy must be reformed and put under the constitution.
While anticipating over 100,000 people joining from across the nation, they said they plan to protest overnight to put more pressure on the government.
Anon Nampa, a human right lawyer and one of the key protesters, said the protest on 14 Oct. will be called “The Day that People Will Lead.” Nampa assured that the protest will be peaceful and the organizers have already notified and consulted with the police.
At the most recent rally on 19 Sept., the organizers said around 200,000 people joined. Nampa believes the number would not be less than that.
“I anticipate that the crowd wouldn’t be less than 19 Sept., or larger,” Nampa said. “For marching, we haven’t set that yet, it depends on the situation. We’re aiming to pressure Prayut and the parliament.”
Nampa also said that there will be labor, school, and university strikes on that day. He said over 30 organizations — including over 20 groups from the Northeast, and high school student rights groups — have already confirmed their participation.
THAILAND. Bangkok. Members of the Parliament (MP) voted on 24 Sept., to form a committee to study the constitution amendment bills, which was proposed by iLaw and was endorsed by 100,732 people, for a month.
The parliament voted 431-255 to form a committee with 45 members to study the bills before casting votes.
The amendments to the constitution were proposed by iLaw, a human right non-profit organization. According to the 2017 military-drafted constitution, submitting an amendment to it requires 50,000 signatures. After going to most of the pro-democracy demonstrations across the country, iLaw was able to get 100,732 signatures within 43 days after its campaign started.
According to iLaw, this draft constitution aims to abolish immunity of the 2014 coup, military-appointed senate and its power to elect prime minister, the 20-year-long nation strategy, the parliament’s power to vote in non-MP prime minister, and non-elected local government officials. The draft also revises the constitution amending process, and member selection process of check-and-balance agencies.
People marched on 21 Sept. 2 kilometers from Tao Poon MRT station to the parliament to submit the amendment bills.
People protested during and after the vote
During the parliamentary session on Sept. 24, hundreds of people gathered in front of the parliament to pressure the MPs to vote in their favor. As the parliament is located next to Chao Phraya River, people were also seen protesting from their boats holding placards and shouting their demands.
After the MPs voted to put off the vote for another month, protesters yelled at representatives and senators who cast those votes as they left the parliament.
Protesters said that they will escalate their movement in October.
50,000 signatures have been verified
On 30 Sept., Sukit Atthopakorn, advisor to the Speaker of the House of Representatives said that the parliament is currently verifying those 100,732 signatures, which must be done within 45 days. He said over 50,000 has already been verified.
After the verification process by the parliament, those names have to be submitted to Provincial Administration Department to verify their voting rights, as well as to each individual to make sure that they endorsed the bills themselves.
THAILAND. Thai netizens put out tweets with an anti-military coup hashtag #ไม่เอารัฐประหาร (#WeDon’tAcceptCoup) amid mysterious military movements and the army chief’s attitudes towards leading a coup.
In recent weeks, Thai people spotted army rotation of transferring military vehicles and weapons from army bases in other provinces to the capital and big cities across the country where almost daily anti-government demonstrations take place. Military officials said the movements were for maneuver purposes. However, people believe this is a sign from the army that it is ready to take over.
Since the 1932 revolution, Thailand has faced 13 military coups. Most of them were led by the army chiefs, including the most recent one in 2014, in which then Army Cheif Prayut Chan-o-cha took control and later assumed the prime ministership until now. Similar military movements were reported prior to the most recent two military coups in 2006 and 2014.
— Lookkate – Chonthicha Jangrew (@LookkateChonth1) September 5, 2020
Apirat Kongsompong, the current army chief, has also been refusing to answer reporters’ questions many times regarding the coup rumors. He also did not deny that the rumor was not true.
Defence Ministry Spokesperson Kongcheep Tantravanich said the coup rumor is just a rumor while saying that the ongoing political climate is complicated and sensitive as there are groups of people who keep spreading the rumor in attempt to create suspicion. He asked the people to be more critical of the information they are consuming.
Meanwhile, people are advocating on social media for resistance if the coup ends up happening. Guidelines on how to resist a coup strategically were released and virally shared on social media. The hashtag #WeDon’tAcceptCoup has been trended on Twitter from time to time in recent weeks.
“If there is an attempt to perform a coup, no matter by who, everyone please come out to obstruct it and make the coup leaders become rebels as stated in Article 113 immediately #WeDon’tAcceptCoup,” Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, a youth leader, tweeted.
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