CityNews – 12th January 2020, over 500 people came to the area in front of Tha Pae Gate around 6.30 am to start the running activity “Wing Lai Loong” or Run Against Dictatorship. The running route was around the moat starting from Tha Pae Gate along roads inside the moat and ending back at Tha Pae Gate with a total length of around 7.5 Kms.
Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj. Phichit Tamool, The Chiang Mai activity leader said that this activity has the same objective as others held in provinces across Thailand. i.e. to send a message to the leaders of government that people are living in difficulty and they want the country to move forward economically. The number of participant here was sufficient because he didn’t expect too large a number and didn’t want the activity to affect the traffic.
Chamnan Chanrueang, deputy leader of Future Forward Party, revealed that activities like this is normal in other developed countries. There would be those who agree and disagree with the government and they wish to express themselves. He would like the government to take in points made by the opposition, especially those concerning the economy, adding that people are becoming more active and interested in political issues.
The activity in Chiang Mai had been completed without conflicts. Police were set to help with security until the activity ended.