IN GEARING UP to handle the People’s Party demonstration at Ratchaprasong from 4 p.m. today (Nov. 18) the adjacent Royal Thai Police headquarters has been heavily barricaded with motorists also urged to avoid this area from 2 p.m. onwards, Thai Rath newspaper reported.
Barrier panels have been put at all the entrances to the headquarters and further strengthened with rolls of barbed wire. Within the compound are parked some water cannon vehicles and fire engines.
Earlier Pol. Maj. Gen. Jirasan Keawsaeng-ek, deputy head of Metropolitan Police, and Pol. Maj. Gen. Thiraphong Wongratpitak, head of Traffic Police, asked motorists to avoid Ratchaprasong intersection from 2 p.m. onwards as the People’s Party demonstration is starting in this area from 4 p.m..
Meanwhile the Police Crowd Control Division revealed that yesterday’s demonstrators at Kiak Kai intersection near the Parliament led to six vehicles being destroyed with these being three water cannon vehicles, two water-refilling vehicles and a prison van.
Preliminary examination showed that the main damage was in the petrol tank which was filled with sand and other debris causing engine failure. The protesters had also sprayed water on the circuit board within the water cannon vehicles sparking a short circuit and also cut all the wires.
CAPTION:
The barricaded Royal Thai Police headquarters and damaged police vehicles. Photos: Thai Rath
