The procession was led by:
- Pichit Chaimongkol (SNT leader)
- Warong Dechgitvigrom (Thai Pakdee Party leader)
- Jatuporn Promphan (former red-shirt leader turned critic of the Pheu Thai Party and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra)
The group assembled near Chamai Maruchet Bridge, with security guards and a sound truck leading the march.
At 8 am, Dusit police station deployed 54 crowd-control officers, equipped with batons and shields, to block Phitsanulok Road near the bridge.
By 8:30 am, the procession moved along Rama V Road, passing Ratchawithi Road and Samsen Road, before reaching a side entrance to Parliament, where leaders delivered speeches against the bill.
Protest Leaders Criticise Government Over Casino Bill
Pichit Chaimongkol:
Pichit accused the government of ignoring public opposition to the bill. He stated that protesters came to Parliament to demand House Speaker Wan Muhammad Noor Matha reject the bill outright and prevent it from being added to the House agenda.
He urged Wan Noor to consider religious concerns, stating that no faith endorses gambling or the establishment of casinos.
Warong Dechgitvigrom:
Warong criticised the government’s use of opinion polls to justify the bill, claiming that officials cited a survey where 57,000 out of 80,000 people supported the proposal.
To counter this, his group has collected 100,000 signatures opposing the bill.
Jatuporn Promphan:
Jatuporn warned that if Wan Noor allowed the bill to be debated and approved, he would face backlash from Muslim communities, particularly in the southern border provinces that elected him.
“Why does the Prime Minister want to be the chief of gambling dens now?” Jatuporn asked.
He added that the House Speaker’s assurance that the bill was not yet on the agenda was insufficient, insisting that protesters wanted the bill permanently rejected.
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