Police officers and soldiers have prohibited commemorating the death of an anti-junta taxi driver who committed suicide after the 2006 coup d’état.

At around 1 pm on 19 September 2016, many police officers and soldiers were deployed at the flyover in front of the Thai Rath newspaper headquarters on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Bangkok, prior to a commemoration for Nuamthong Praiwan.

Nuamthong was a Taxi driver who attempted to committee suicide by driving into a military tank on 30 September 2006. However, he survived. Later on 31 October 2006, he hanged himself at the flyover.

His suicide note stated that he wanted to prove wrong a high ranking army officer who said that no one would die for their ideology.

When some 10 participants in the commemoration arrived, the authorities informed them that the event was not allowed to be held and searched some of participants.

At about 4:30 pm, when musicians led by Alec Chokrompruek arrived at the venue, the police officers cited the junta’s ban on political gatherings of five or more persons and the Public Assembly Act to inform them that the event must not be held.

At the end, the event to commemorate the death of Nuamthong was aborted.

Police officers prohibit the  people to commemorate the death of  Nuamthong Praiwan on 19 September 2016