A convoy of protesters from southern Thailand reached Government House in Bangkok on Sunday night, November 8, and set up camp near the compound. They’re vowing to stay until the government cuts diesel prices by 10 baht a liter. The group is led by Mano Khrueakaew, the subdistrict headman of Krabi Noi in Krabi province. It arrived at about 8 p.m. after four days on the road from Nakhon Si Thammarat, bringing complaints about fuel and living costs to the seat of government.
The protesters call themselves the People’s Alliance for Revolution to Protect the Land. They gathered at the foot of Chamai Maruchet Bridge, across from Government House, according to several news sources. Leaders took turns addressing supporters from a sound truck until heavy rain at around 9:30 p.m. forced them to stop. They planned to resume on Monday morning.
From the stage, Mano said high fuel prices were driving up the cost of goods and farming, leaving many families unable to cover their expenses. He questioned why Thailand prices its fuel against the Singapore market when the country has its own refineries and crude oil sources. He urged the government to review the fuel price structure, especially refining margins.
The group’s demands go beyond diesel. It has also called for urgent action on the cost of living, drug problems and alleged irregularities in local government recruitment exams.
Mano told reporters that supporters from several regions would join the rally in the coming days. He said the group would escalate if the government didn’t act. He also said he planned to meet veteran protest leader Sondhi Limthongkul and his team at Baan Phra Arthit on Monday, November 9, to discuss the movement’s next steps. He denied that any politician or party was behind the protest and said the group was speaking for ordinary people.
After his speech, Mano met briefly with the superintendent of Nang Loeng police station to discuss the legal conditions for the gathering. He said afterward that the group would follow those conditions for now.
Security around the compound is tight. The Metropolitan Police Bureau has banned public gatherings within 50 meters of Government House from November 5 until midnight on November 20 under the Public Assembly Act of 2015. The order cites risks to traffic, access to the compound and public safety. Two companies of police officers were deployed to the area, with steel barriers placed at Chamai Maruchet Bridge and officers rotating around the clock. Police also closed roads at four points around the compound and asked motorists to avoid the area.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on November 6 that the protesters had a constitutional right to assemble, as long as they stayed within the law and didn’t cause hardship for the public. The government has pointed to its recent tax relief as proof that it is already acting on fuel costs. On October 27, the Cabinet cut the excise tax on B20 diesel from 5.953 baht to 0.431 baht a liter. It cut the tax on E20 gasohol from 6 baht to 0.358 baht a liter. Both cuts run for three months, through January 27, 2027.
Regular diesel didn’t get the same break. On November 8, it sold for 41.79 baht a liter at major stations in Bangkok, compared with 33.50 baht for B20, according to several news sources. The government hasn’t announced any plan to meet the 10 baht demand.
The protest comes days after official data showed fuel costs pushing inflation above the central bank’s target. Commerce Ministry figures released on November 6 put headline inflation at 3.90% in October, up from 2.82% in September. It was the first time in almost four years that inflation moved above the Bank of Thailand’s target range of 1% to 3%.
Fuel prices rose 29.18% from a year earlier, while food and nonalcoholic beverage prices climbed 4.26%. Core inflation, which excludes fresh food and energy, stood at 1.58%. Higher fuel prices reflected continuing pressure from the energy crisis in the Middle East, according to several news sources. The ministry kept its full-year forecast at 1.8% to 2.2%, but it expects inflation to stay positive in November.
The convoy set off on November 5 from the Khuan Nong Hong intersection in Cha-uat district, Nakhon Si Thammarat. It passed through Surat Thani, Chumphon and Phetchaburi on its way north. Organizers had aimed to bring 1,000 cars and trucks to Bangkok, but turnout fell short of that goal.
What happens next will likely depend on the coming days. Mano’s meeting with Sondhi and the arrival of more supporters could decide whether the rally grows or fades, and the police ban near Government House stays in force until November 20. For now, the protest keeps pressure on the government over the price of regular diesel, which remains outside the biofuel tax cuts running through January.
