Members of the People’s Democratic Force to Overthrow Thaksinism (Pefot) and the Dharma Army on Thursday rallied in front of the Royal Thai Police headquarters on Rama 1 Road in Pathumwan district and cut off electricity to demand police stop serving the state and join their cause.
Police at the head office on Rama I Road block protesters demanding them to stop working for the government to go inside the compound on Thursday. (Photo by Thanarak Khoonton)
The offices have been forced to use back-up power supplies for more than three hours, said the Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order spokesman Pol Maj Gen Piya Uthayo. He said the emergency electricity would only last about three more hours.
National Police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew said the protestors were not permitted to remain in the vicinity of the head office because doing so could affect patients at the Police General Hospital located nearby. He warned that the authorities would take immediate action if the protestors tried to enter the buildings.
Pol Lt Gen Jongjate Aojanepong, director of the Police General Hospital, said the hospital did not lose power during the incident because it does not use the same power source as the RTP’s buildings. With over 500 patients at the hospital, power generators have been prepared in case the outage spreads.