This afternoon and tomorrow, trucks will parade through Bangkok to protest the high cost of diesel and call for the minister of energy to step down.
Taking a page from protests currently racking Canada over health mandates, a truck convoy will set out at 3pm from the Bang Sue Grand Station on a route that will take it past Ratchayothin Intersection, Rama IX Road, Khlong Toei Junction, MBK Center, and Victory Monument. The procession is meant as a symbolic show of strength.
“We will arrange a truck convoy all through Bangkok,” the statement reads. “Brothers and sisters who are heavily affected by expensive things are welcome to join us.”
An estimated 1,000-plus drivers are expected to join the protest, according to Apichart Prairungruang, chairman of the Land Transport Federation.
On Tuesday, the truckers will gather at the Ministry of Energy on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road to call for the resignation of Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow.
It’s the second act of trucker civil disobedience since November, when the strike dubbed “Truck Power” saw around 80,000 truck and tour bus drivers idle for upward of a week to demand the government cap diesel prices at THB25 per liter for a year.
The government sets fuel prices in Thailand, and in November agreed to cap diesel at THB30 through next month. Shell lists pump prices for Diesel B20 on Saturday at THB31.54.
Major Canadian cities were paralyzed for a second weekend by a large trucker protest dubbed the Freedom Convoy that seeks the repeal of all COVID-19 related health restrictions.
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