A police representative admitted on Monday (9 November) that tear gas was used during the police crackdown on the 16 October protest at the Pathumwan intersection.

A small stuffed panda is left on the street under the Siam BTS Station in a pool of water from the water cannon, which also hit many protesters. 

Lt Col Chawalit Runsiri, deputy chief of the 2nd Crowd Control Division, said in a meeting with the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, Rights, Liberties, and Consumer Protection that the water used in the water cannon fired during the 16 October crackdown was laced with both the blue colour pigment methyl violet 2B and tear gas.

However, he claimed that the tear gas is not harmful to protesters, and that the officers had already issued a warning that they were going to use the water cannon, but the protesters refused to disperse, so they started using blue-stained water to identify protesters, and that they resorted to using tear gas after the situation was not resolved. He also said that the officers followed universal standards during the crackdown.

The committee, chaired by Senator Somchai Sawangkarn, called the meeting as part of an investigation into the crowd control process and the arrest of protest leaders. Representatives of the Royal Thai Police headquarters and the Metropolitan Police attended the meeting to answer questions about the process of the crackdown.

As noted by Khaosod English, protesters, journalists, and other eyewitnesses in the area during the 16 October crackdown said that they felt a burning sensation on their faces and that they could smell chemicals. However, shortly after the crackdown, police spokesperson Pol Col Kissana Phattanacharoen said in a press conference that they did not use rubber bullets or tear gas, and that the officers did not carry any weapons other than shields and batons.

On Sunday (8 November), the police once again used water cannon on protesters gathering at the Grand Palace. According to some reports, they did not issue warnings before they started firing at the crowd. At least three people were injured by the water cannon.