Protests in Bangkok

Twenty-one people were killed during protests surrounding a special election in Bangkok and southern Thailand on Feb. 2 that had been called by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s government. 

At press time, protesters still controlled some sections of Sukhumvit Road and Lumpini Park in Bangkok, with sporadic demonstrations in other areas of the capital. The protests, which began in November, had been mostly peaceful, leaving the city’s tourist destinations intact, but occasionally they became violent.

Claiming, too, that the election process was co-opted by the ruling party, protesters blocked polling places on Feb. 2, so the Thai Election Commission called for another round of voting on April 20 to allow citizens who were prevented from voting in the first round to cast their ballots.