Labour advocates converged on Government House on Monday, calling on the government to raise the daily minimum wage to 700 baht and set up a fund to support laid-off workers.

One group of protesters, led by political activists Somyot Prueksakasemsuk and Thanaporn Wichian, marched to Phitsanulok Mansion and Government House in an effort to push their proposals to the government.

According to Ms Thanaportn, ideas in the proposal would not only improve labourers' welfare but also increase their bargaining power with employers.

A different group led by the Labour Congress of Thailand (LCT) also organised a march, which started at Makkhawan Rangsan Bridge and proceeded to Lan Khon Muang in front of City Hall.

After praising the Ministry of Labour's work over the past two and a half years, Chinchote Saengsang, LCT president, read out the group's seven demands, which include the establishment of risk insurance for workers and monitoring performance of the state's social security scheme for workers.

The group also urged increasing pension payout from 3,000 baht a month to 5,000 baht a month in order to better match the real expenditures of the average labourer.

They also asked the government to sign two International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions and follow up on the government's promise to increase the daily wage to 425 baht a day, which it made ahead of the 2019 election, he said.