Thailand protesters clash with riot police over handling of Covid

More than a thousand Thai anti-government protesters clashed with police in Bangkok on Saturday as they rallied against the government’s failure to handle coronavirus outbreaks and its impact on the economy.

The protesters marched towards Government House, the office of the prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, demanding the leader’s resignation.

Police sealed off a road near Victory Monument in the Thai capital using containers and fired teargas and rubber bullets to force protesters back.

“We are holding this line,” police announced over loudspeaker.

About 100 officers were seen in riot gear and shields metres 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 212 deaths, the highest number yet.

In total, the south-east Asian country has reported 736,522 cases and 6,066 deaths since the pandemic began last year.