Busy Pathumwan as 'main rally site'

Busy Pathumwan as 'main rally site'

The busy Pathumwan intersection will be the venue for the main anti-government rally stage on Jan 13, the day of the mass shutdown of Bangkok, while the Democracy Monument site will be closed, the People's Democratic Reform Committee announced on Thursday night.

The Pathumwan intersection is near Ratchaprasong intersection, the capital's upscale shopping district, where the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) held a mass street rally that turned violent in 2010.

Five other intersections in inner Bangkok and Chaeng Wattana Road will become central rally sites for Monday’s mass rallies, PDRC co-leader Sathit Wongnongtoey said.

“For other rally stages, apart from the main one, they will operate from 4pm to 2am. Every day there will be activities such as a march to government offices to bar [civil servants] from working, but we will not invade the place."

The other five intersections are Lumpini, Ratchaprasong, Asok, Victory Monument and Lat Phrao.

The PDRC will announce more details of the planned demonstrations in the coming few days, Mr Sathit said, adding each rally site will be well-organised and the protests will continue until caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra resigns from her position.

Meanwhile, the PDRC leaders announced that they will hold activities for Children's Day on Saturday at Victory Monument.  

Nititorn Lamlua, leader of the anti-government Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand (NSPRT), said the group will set up a principal stage for Children's Day activities at an area on Phitsanulok Road, near Government House. 

He said the NSPRT will award scholarships totalling 150,000 baht to students from three schools in the area. 


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