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Return of Street Protests Pose Little Threat to Thai Government for Now

Zsombor Peter

   BANGKOK - Thailand's pro-military government has little to fear for now
   from the sharp shift in tactics by a leading opposition party that
   called thousands of its supporters into the streets over the weekend to
   demand democratic reforms, analysts say.

   That could change, though, if the government's crackdown oncriticspicks
   up and the economy continues to stutter, some of them warned. The Bank
   of Thailand clipped its growth forecast in gross domestic product for
   2020 from 3.3% to 2.8% earlier this week.
   Saturday saw a rally in the heart of Bangkok's shopping district
   estimated by some participants to have attracted a crowd of at least
   5,000. The Future Forward party, which called for the rally the day
   before, claims the turnout was twice that.Either way, it was the
   largest protest Thailand has seen since a military coup in 2014.

   Future Forward leaderThanathornJuangroongruangkittold a cheering crowd
   that the gathering was "just the beginning," a "test run" for bigger
   protests to come starting next month.

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