Watched by police and soldiers, pro-democracy citizens commemorated the death of a taxi driver who committed suicide to protest the 2006 coup.

At 7 pm on 31 October 2017, about 20 people gathered at the bridge in front of the headquarters of Thai Rath newspaper on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in Bangkok to commemorate the death of taxi driver Nuamthong Praiwan, who hanged himself at the bridge to protest against the 2006 military coup.

People lit candles and placed flowers at the bridge. The activity lasted about 20 minutes.

A large number of police officers together with soldiers in plain clothes were deployed at the venue to monitor the event. Before it started, the police put up a banner warning participants that a political gathering of five persons or more is illegal under the junta’s order.

Phaisan Chanpan, a democracy activist and taxi driver, said at the commemoration that as a fellow taxi driver he shares similar political beliefs with Nuamthong, adding that the late taxi driver is well known among taxi drivers who are anti-establishment red shirts.

Nuamthong Praiwan’s first attempt at suicide was on 30 September 2006 when he drove his taxi into a military tank, but he survived. On 31 October 2006, he hanged himself at the bridge in front of the headquarters of Thai Rath newspaper. 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.

Democracy supporters light candles for Nuamthong on 31 October 2017

Police officers deployed at the bridge in front of the headquarters of Thai Rath newspaper to monitor the gathering on 31 October 2017