NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: Progressive Movement co-founder Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit yesterday cancelled a planned meeting with a group of students in Thung Song district to avoid a confrontation with dozens of yellow-clad royalists gathering in town.
The former leader of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party was in the southern province to help the election campaign of the group's candidates vying for seats in the Dec 20 provincial administration organisation (PAO) election.
Mr Thanathorn was supposed to travel from Muang district to Thung Song to meet a group of students on Wednesday. However, he cancelled the visit following a report about the gathering of yellow-shirt royalists in the town centre.
Earlier in the day, dozens of yellow-shirted people converged amid tight security to protest against Mr Thanathorn near a hotel in Muang district where he was to meet the group's election candidates.
Mr Thanathorn is accused of being a key supporter of anti-government protesters who have demanded the prime minister's resignation, a charter rewrite and monarchy reforms.
Police were deployed to maintain order at the site and keep the crowd from entering the compound of a hotel where Mr Thanathorn had booked to stay.
However, the crowd demanded all the vehicles leaving the hotel premises lower their windows. A brief commotion broke out when a white car with heavily tinted windows refused to do so. Police intervened and managed to let the car pass.
The crowd dispersed when they were sure Mr Thanathorn had left.
Early this week activist Srisuwan Janya petitioned the Election Commission to investigate the Progressive Movement for functioning like a political party after it held an event to introduce its PAO election candidates and used the same logo in its campaign for the candidates.
