Around 25 people have protested in front of the United States embassy and Thai Summit, a building owned by the family of Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, in Bangkok to question their roles in connection with student rallies.
The group, which called itself the Coordination Centre of Vocational Students and People Protecting the Institution, went to Thai Summit on New Phetchaburi Road on Thursday afternoon.
Jakkapong Klinkaew, who represented the centre, said they came to warn the “de-facto leader” of the Free Youth demonstrations.
“From media reports, everybody knows who is behind them — he showed up at some rallies, or at police stations and prisons when the protest leaders were arrested,” he said.
He added his group was there to remind him to be grateful to the motherland.
In a statement Mr Jakkapong read later, at all rallies, students touched on the issue of the institution. Yet the Progressive Movement led by Mr Thanathorn, Pannika Wanich and Piyabutr Saengkanokkul showed support for them.
The protesters urged them to drop the support. “Look back at our history. Themonarchy has been our moral compass, making it possible for us to make a living and work freely. “Even Mr Thanathorn's familly has benefited from his kindness," it said.
If the Progressive Movement has conscience and loyalty to the palace, they must stop backing the students and issue a statement forbidding them to undermine the institution.
A group from Phetchaburi province who joined the activity questioned whether the trio couldn’t accept the institution even though they lived here. “If they couldn't, they should go live elsewhere…. The fact is a majority of Thais love and respect the monarchy and accept democracy with the king as head of state as the real democratic principle, not just elections," they said.
They then urged Mr Thanathorn to leave the country, chanting "Thanathorn Out!", and to take his own children to the Sept 19 rally instead of "using" other people's offspring.
After the activity there, the group moved on to the US embassy to seek explanations on the perceived US support of the rallies.
There, they submitted a letter asking for further explanations. On Wednesday, another pro-establishment group called the Peoples of Thailand went there to ask the US to stop supporting student rallies, citing as evidence photos of a former ambassador and diplomats with protesters published in "an independent international media outlet" which they did not name.
They claimed the embassy had issued a statement in response, explaining that such activities were normal, and denied supporting any particular group. “We only support democracy,” the statement said.
The sentence apparently led the group to come the next day — they wanted the US to use the term “democracy with the king as head of state” since it is what Thailand is.
Besides, they said, US intervention was inappropriate and, to thier knowlege, the Free Youth, like the Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters, was backed for foreigners.
