A protest action was held in Bangkok

An anti-government protest, which was attended by several thousand people, took place in the Ladrao district of Bangkok

The organisers from the Free Youth Association called the event an exercise to prevent a possible coup d’état. The Thai authorities at various levels have already several times refuted rumours about plans to introduce martial law in the country due to ongoing demonstrations.

Hundreds of activists gradually began blocking the roads in the area of the action before the official start of the event, which was scheduled for 16:00 local time. By the time the action started, traffic at one of the largest intersections in the city had been completely paralysed. This eventually affected the traffic situation throughout Bangkok, as many residents leave the city on Friday to travel to neighbouring provinces for the weekend.

The organisers of the event set up a stage in the square from which calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-Ochi were traditionally heard. At the same time, the participants held an exercise in the event of a possible coup d’état. The demonstrators sat on the asphalt, voiced anti-government slogans and answered protest leaders’ questions about how they would act in the event of a coup d’état.