Protests mark 15th anniversary of Thaksin ouster

Bangkok

HUNDREDS of protesters drove through Bangkok's streets on Sunday to mark the 15th anniversary of a military coup that ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The 72-year-old billionaire ex-premier - now living in self-exile - has remained a prominent figure in the country's politics since the military deposed his government on Sept 19, 2006.

Unloading a massive cardboard model of a tank for their "cars against tanks" protest, rally-goers honked car horns to call for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former army chief who came to power in a 2014 coup.

"Fifteen years have passed, we are still here to fight," shouted Nattawut Saikuar, a politician long associated with Thaksin, to a sea of supporters waving "Kick out Prayut" flags.

"No matter how many coups there are, it cannot stop us . . . No matter how good capacity their tanks are, it cannot stop the fighting hearts of the people," he added.

Thailand has seen more than a dozen coups since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 by its putsch-happy military - often staged in the name of protecting the powerful royal family.

Thaksin's juggernaut rise to power was boosted by the so-called "Red Shirts", mostly working-class supporters who revere him for populist contributions such as instating a universal healthcare system.

But he was hated by Bangkok elites and the powerful military, and has faced a raft of corruption accusations.

His influence in Thailand's patronage-reliant politics permeated the kingdom even after his ouster - his sister Yingluck was the next premier, before she too was deposed in a 2014 coup led by then-army chief Mr Prayut.

The general went on to become prime minister in 2019 elections governed under a new constitution authored by his junta.

Mr Nattawut said the premier has had plenty of time to improve Thailand, but the country is in a recession.

"The economy, society and politics are collapsing," he said.

The red-clad protesters in cars and on motorbikes plan to move to Democracy Monument, the site of several rallies by an anti-government movement that has repeatedly called for Mr Prayut's resignation since last July.

Scrutiny of the government increased after a fresh Covid-19 wave in April snowballed Thailand's cumulative caseload from less than 29,000 to more than 1.4 million infections in just five months, as well as a rising death toll.

Earlier this month, the premier survived a no-confidence vote - his third since 2019. AFP