Thai authorities brace for protest at king’s treasury office

Thai police on Tuesday warned pro-democracy activists not to get too close to the office of the Crown Property Bureau as they plan to hold a large rally.

The Crown Property Bureau is the agency that manages assets of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Police spokesman Yingyot Thephamnong told reporters that around 6,000 police officers would be deployed Wednesday before dawn to ensure protesters do not get within 150m of the Crown Property Bureau’s office in Bangkok.

Anti-government demonstrations have taken place almost daily since July with protesters repeatedly calling for a new government, a new constitution, and reform of the monarchy to be more democratic and transparent.

The growing protest movement has increasingly taken aim at the powerful monarchy, which protesters say wields too much influence over governments, while some charge that it is the root of Thailand’s political problems.

Protesters have said that their call for reform of the monarchy was not to see it be overthrown, as charged by some royalist supporters.

Wednesday’s protest targets the monarchy’s royal assets which King Maha Vajiralongkorn transferred to be under his personal control after he ascended the throne following the death of his father.

The protesters are calling for the assets to be transferred back to be under the control of the palace and government.

“If the crown’s royal assets are transferred to be King Vajiralongkorn’s personal assets – what would we have left to give to the next king?’’ protest leader Anon Nampa said Monday on his Facebook page.

Vajiralongkorn is reportedly the world’s richest monarch.

Edited By: Hadiza Mohammed/Isaac Aregbesola
(NAN)