A police officer fires a weapon during clashes with demonstrators protesting against what they call the government's failure in handling the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand, August 7, 2021. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - More than a thousand Thai anti-government protesters clashed with police on Saturday, as they protested against the government's failure to handle coronavirus outbreaks and its impact on the economy. 

 

The protesters marched toward Government House, the office of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, demanding his resignation.

Police sealed off a road near Victory Monument in the capital Bangkok using containers and shot tear gas and rubber bullets to push protesters back.

 

"We are holding this line," police announced over loud speaker.

 

About a hundred officers were seen in riot gear and shields meters away from where demonstrators had gathered.

 

Street protests against the government have been held in recent weeks by several groups, including Prayuth's former political allies, as frustrations mount over its management of coronavirus outbreaks and the damage pandemic measures have inflicted on the economy.

 

Thailand reported on Saturday a record of nearly 22,000 new COVID-19 infections in a single day and the highest deaths, 212 fatalities.

 

The Southeast Asian country has reported 736,522 total cases and 6,066 deaths from the coronavirus since the pandemic began last year.

 

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Jiraporn Kuhakan; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)

 

 

 

 

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-08-07

 

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Always leave room to protest peacefully

Beginning to look like Burma.....

 

Since i've been in Thailand, have lived thru, 4 coups and 5 violent protests>
NOTHING changes .....only the players

They asked for vaccines- and got tear gas and rubber bullets.

the protestors should change strategy.. They can't do anything against the police with guns and teargas and the razorwire. Of course the police will protect the Government house, palace and the residence of Prayuth.  So if the focus on other goals that will costs the rulers money, just as like they were sitting at the airport, would be effective too..If the rich can't earn money they will cry. and not on a Saturday but in weekdays.. The more problems there are in Bangkok because of demonstrations the better.

2 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

as they protested against the government's failure to handle coronavirus outbreaks

Ranked 120th in the recent league table out of a 120 countries, I think they have a valid point !

10 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

More than a thousand Thai anti-government protesters

That´s just a drop in the ocean, which leads to nothing more than adding to the problem

All this might do is a change in leadership and an even more hard handed ptb that won't hesitate to bring out the real guns.

After all, the current incumbents are simply the military by another name.Elections of any kind are out of the question so maybe the devil you know?

Obviously many of those protesters want to fight. Why else would they wear helmets and gas masks?

How much does "tony" pay them this time?

If they would really care about Covid then they should stay home and complain online.

And please try some constructive criticism. If you want that X goes away then let us know with which Y you want to replace X. Here is a hint: If Y is a criminal things won't get better.

6 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If you want that X goes away then let us know with which Y you want to replace X. Here is a hint: If Y is a criminal things won't get better.

True. The Thaksins ( X ) were overthrown in an anti democratic coup by the yellow backed army ( Y ) and as you have correctly observed , things have not only not got better they have got worse.

 

Happiness has only been returned to the military and their hi so lackies.

5 minutes ago, Denim said:

True. The Thaksins ( X ) were overthrown in an anti democratic coup by the yellow backed army ( Y ) and as you have correctly observed , things have not only not got better they have got worse.

Really? I didn't see any red-shirts for years. That is a big improvement.

 

IMHO the handling of Covid until about the end of last year was pretty good. Thailand had only few cases compared to many so called first world countries.

The vaccine rollout obviously was bad and still is insufficient. But I wonder why some people think the wanted criminal would have done things any better. Because he claims he would have done that? 555

10 hours ago, zzzzz said:

Since i've been in Thailand, have lived thru, 4 coups and 5 violent protests>
NOTHING changes .....only the players

And what's your point? Should the students just join you in your defeatism and give up, instead of putting up a fight? That would be the only way to guarantee that nothing will ever change.

10 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

They asked for vaccines- and got tear gas and rubber bullets.

Maybe new technology (Vac Gas) 

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Obviously many of those protesters want to fight. Why else would they wear helmets and gas masks?

How much does "tony" pay them this time?

If they would really care about Covid then they should stay home and complain online.

And please try some constructive criticism. If you want that X goes away then let us know with which Y you want to replace X. Here is a hint: If Y is a criminal things won't get better.

Well use gas mask and helmets seam to be pretty clever to me when you know Cha Cha going to fire tear gas , rubber bullets and water whit tear gas against you , not really rocket science you ask me.

5 minutes ago, engamann said:

Well use gas mask and helmets seam to be pretty clever to me when you know Cha Cha going to fire tear gas , rubber bullets and water whit tear gas against you , not really rocket science you ask me.

Not to mention defeating facial recognition, both the software type and the human variety, looking at the videos for people to arrest, months and months after the protests.

 

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Really? I didn't see any red-shirts for years. That is a big improvement.

 

IMHO the handling of Covid until about the end of last year was pretty good. Thailand had only few cases compared to many so called first world countries.

The vaccine rollout obviously was bad and still is insufficient. But I wonder why some people think the wanted criminal would have done things any better. Because he claims he would have done that? 555

Really so you think to not join Covax was a pretty good job ? If this junta was not so damn corrupt them would have join the Covax but it was more important to fill up the bank account to the man we can not name even more then get the vaccine when it was ready and see know where that have put Thailand , going to be one of the last country lo recover from Covid. ( funny but now them have decided to join Covax , just one year after most of the world 555 )

20 minutes ago, engamann said:

Well use gas mask and helmets seam to be pretty clever to me when you know Cha Cha going to fire tear gas , rubber bullets and water whit tear gas against you , not really rocket science you ask me.

For what? Does anybody really think Prayut will one of these days just resign? 555

And then what? Will there be right away a new leader who will do everything better? 555 again.

Stay at home and take it easy. No tear gas, no bullets, no Covid. Perfect.

10 minutes ago, engamann said:

Really so you think to not join Covax was a pretty good job ? If this junta was not so damn corrupt them would have join the Covax but it was more important to fill up the bank account to the man we can not name even more then get the vaccine when it was ready and see know where that have put Thailand , going to be one of the last country lo recover from Covid. ( funny but now them have decided to join Covax , just one year after most of the world 555 )

Did I write anywhere that they handled the vaccination in a good way? No.

And about the person who can't be named, would any other government or leader just have said no? Dream on!

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

IMHO the handling of Covid until about the end of last year was pretty good. Thailand had only few cases compared to many so called first world countries.

So you really believe what the Thai government spew's out regarding the numbers of Covid cases? You're havin a larf ? 555

10 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Did I write anywhere that they handled the vaccination in a good way?

Yes. 555 again.

 

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Obviously many of those protesters want to fight. Why else would they wear helmets and gas masks?

How much does "tony" pay them this time?

If they would really care about Covid then they should stay home and complain online.

And please try some constructive criticism. If you want that X goes away then let us know with which Y you want to replace X. Here is a hint: If Y is a criminal things won't get better.

Why do you believe this is being led by a former PM. I think your views are skewed.

3 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

That´s just a drop in the ocean, which leads to nothing more than adding to the problem

Seem to be more smoke than anything else.    

11 hours ago, zzzzz said:

Since i've been in Thailand, have lived thru, 4 coups and 5 violent protests>

What dates were those?

Just the same game played yesterday ........  Police 1 - 0  Protestors 

repeat ......   rinse .........  repeat .....

when's the 2nd match on .....  ?     can't miss that one. 

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

IMHO the handling of Covid until about the end of last year was pretty good. Thailand had only few cases compared to many so called first world countries.

The vaccine rollout obviously was bad and still is insufficient. But I wonder why some people think the wanted criminal would have done things any better. Because he claims he would have done that? 555

IMHO a situation where the economy and peoples' livelihoods of a country get destroyed doesn't really demonstrate a good handling of the pandemic, even if they managed to get to zero infections per day. Reducing transmissions is one thing, but at what cost? It would be interesting to compare the number of destroyed lives from the lockdowns vs. the number (and the possible number) of deaths from the virus itself. 

Those police are very brave hiding behind riot shields with their guns and tear gas against unarmed protesters. Pinocchio has a lot to answer for. 

7 minutes ago, SS1 said:

IMHO a situation where the economy and peoples' livelihoods of a country get destroyed doesn't really demonstrate a good handling of the pandemic, even if they managed to get to zero infections per day. Reducing transmissions is one thing, but at what cost? It would be interesting to compare the number of destroyed lives from the lockdowns vs. the number (and the possible number) of deaths from the virus itself. 

Such a straw man argument.

It's been CLEARLY demonstarted in the US, UK, India and many other countries the price of letting this pandemic get out of control. US - 600k deaths, UK - 130,000, India 427,000 with the latter nearly having a complete collapse of it's heallthcare system.
Thailand simply cannot afford (both in lives and the strain on it's health service) to let this latest wave get out of control. It's economically a heavy price to pay but they simply do not have any choice.

43 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Why do you believe this is being led by a former PM. I think your views are skewed.

Look at the news today and you will see news about that criminal fugitive who wants to come back and about that red-shirt leader who is active again. Coincidence? Someone is organizing and financing this protest... 

58 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

For what? Does anybody really think Prayut will one of these days just resign? 555

And then what? Will there be right away a new leader who will do everything better? 555 again.

Stay at home and take it easy. No tear gas, no bullets, no Covid. Perfect.

I agree. They should simply accept a non-democratically elected government who had to overthrow a democratically elected government (twice!) and who have now stacked the system so much that even if they do lose, they don't really.

 

I mean, I;m sure you would if the same happened in YOUR home country. 

20 minutes ago, SS1 said:

IMHO a situation where the economy and peoples' livelihoods of a country get destroyed doesn't really demonstrate a good handling of the pandemic, even if they managed to get to zero infections per day. Reducing transmissions is one thing, but at what cost? It would be interesting to compare the number of destroyed lives from the lockdowns vs. the number (and the possible number) of deaths from the virus itself. 

One big problem with this pandemic is there is no good way to handle this. People will get infected and people will die and people lose their jobs and their investments. It's impossible to solve all this at the same time. If last year we would have more Covid cases and fewer lockdowns I am sure people would have complained. And if we would have more lockdowns and fewer Covid cases people would have complained - just like in the rest of the world.

And the opportunistic politicians who are not in charge pretend they would have made things better. Really?