Police to monitor political gatherings for third PM vote in Thailand

Police in Thailand are set to closely monitor political gatherings during the third round of prime ministerial voting on July 27 in the country.

National police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas said that the police would monitor political gatherings. The police chief revealed that the safety measures, as per the Public Assembly Act, will be applied to any gatherings on July 27.

Pol Gen Damrongsak also said that police would conduct situation assessments daily before the third round of prime ministerial voting. He called for a peaceful and safe gathering.

On Wednesday, a 63-year-old man threw a bag of fermented fish sauce at the office of the Election Commission (EC) in the Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road, Lak Si District, Bangkok, Thailand. Pol Gen Damrongsak said that a legal action would be taken against the man. 

On Friday, Arnon Klinkaew, the chairman of Thai People Protecting the Monarchy group, and Nopadol Prompasit, the secretary-general of the Legal Help Centre for Cyberbullying Victims, filed a case against a person who claimed to be an “important royal figure” on video-sharing app TikTok.

On Wednesday, the leader of Thailand’s election-winning Move Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat,

Met with new obstacles. After more than seven hours of debate, the lawmakers denied him the chance to stand for a second parliamentary vote for prime minister. They argued that a motion for him to be endorsed as the prime minister of Thailand had already been rejected in last week’s vote.

Later on, Pita said that he was expecting “pre-planned” obstacles. He said, “Thailand has not been the same since May 14. We have come halfway from the people’s victory and there is another half to go.”

During the May election, the Move Forward Party, led by Pita Limjaroenrat, won the majority of votes. The Pheu Thai Party emerged in the second position.