Thanathorn Leaves Hurriedly which Gives Surat Thani Royalists Broad Berth

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, co-founder of the Democratic Movement, called off a scheduled campaign trip to Surat Thani on for fear that he might face resistance close to what he faced from a group of yellow-clad royalists in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Instead in the 20th of December, regional administration organization (PAO) election there Mr Thanathorn went to Phangnga to assist with his group’s candidates vying for seats. Mr. Thanathorn cancelled a meeting with a group of students in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Thung Song district to avert a clash with hundreds of yellow-clad royalists assembled in the area.

The former chief of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party was on the campaign trail in the southern province to support the members of the coalition vying for PAO seats. Mr. Thanathorn was expected to fly later to visit the students from Muang district to Thung Song in Nakhon Si Thammarat. However after a warning that yellow-shirt royalists were gathering in the town centre, he cancelled the visit.

In view of this, Mr Thanathorn is accused of being a major sponsor of anti-government demonstrators who have asked for the impeachment of the prime minister, a revision of the charter and changes of the monarchy. A Phuket firm cancelled an offer by the Democratic Movement to use its meeting room tomorrow as a venue in the island province to unveil the group’s PAO election candidates.

The denial came after an invitation by the community to media outlets to attend the event was posted on social media, leading residents to condemn it. Consequently, Economic Centre Development (ECD) Co, a subsidiary of Phuket City Development Co (PKCD), announced that the company had declined the proposal to use the room in the office building of the PKCD.

Morever, The ECD claimed that it had nothing to do with the events of the Progressive Revolution and that the organization remained politically neutral. Mr. Thanathorn was expected to run for PAO in Surat Thani. However, evidently over local opposition complaints against him, he cancelled the tour.