The army moved its headquarters to a temporary office on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road yesterday as the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) moved to their new anti-government protest stronghold on Ratchadamnoen Avenue.
The Royal Thai Army Headquarters is in a compound on Ratchadamnoen Nok Road, only a short walk from Government House, the new centre of the PDRC protest.
Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha ordered the relocation to the 1st Division, Kings Guard location, to avoid problems for officers going to and from the head office, army deputy spokesman Col Winthai Suwaree said yesterday.
The PDRC set up its new anti-government stage in front of the UN office on Ratchadamnoen Avenue after it moved its camp from Lumpini Park, where it had stayed for almost three months.
The new rally stage is next door to the army headquarters compound.
The army used the barracks on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road as its temporary workplace last year when Ratchadamnoen was occupied by demonstrators.
Protesters illegally entered the army head office grounds during a rally in November last year to air their opposition to the government before peacefully returning to their base.
The PDRC is pressing for an interim government to be appointed under Section 7 of the constitution, but army sources said on Sunday that army chief Gen Prayuth and other armed forces chiefs were opposed to the idea.
PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban and other core leaders led demonstrators from the park to the new site at the Government House yesterday afternoon.
Some had already packed and moved on Sunday.
At 2.14pm, regarded as a lucky point in time by the PDRC, all protesters left their main stage at Lumpini Park and arrived at the new base on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue at 4pm.
There, several thousand protesters gathered around the Government House and crowds extended to occupy parts of Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue, closing nearby roads and paralysing traffic.