PUBLISHED : 13 Feb 2024 at 12:44
Student activist Tantawan Tuatulanon and her colleague have twice failed to report to acknowledge charges of attempting to interrupt a royal motorcade, and court warrants will be sought for their arrest, police said on Tuesday.
Ms Tantawan and her Thalu Wang protest group colleague Natthanon Pairoj had failed to respond to a second summons by Din Daeng police to report to acknowledge the charges, according to police.
They instead sent a representative from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights to submit documents requesting a postponement of their meeting with investigators until Feb 20. They cited their conflicting need to attend classes.
On Tuesday, police investigators met to discuss the case involving Ms Tantawan and Mr Natthanon and examined witness statements. After a lengthy meeting, they rejected the postponement request, deciding the two young people could have reported after attending classes, a police source said.
Investigators were now preparing an application for court arrest warrants for the two students, the source said.
On Feb 4, Tantawan and Natthanon allegedly attempted to interrupt the motorcade of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on an expressway in Bangkok, honking their car horn and trying to cut into the middle of it.
Ms Tantawan, 22, already facing royal insult charges over the royal motorcade issue, apologized for driving recklessly on Feb 4 in a Facebook post on Monday, and denied trying to harass or block the royal convoy.
Later on Saturday, Ms Tantawan and her Thalu Wang group went on to conduct an opinion poll at Siam BTS station in front of Siam Paragon, asking people whether they thought royal motorcades caused inconvenience.
Royalists calling themselves Thai People Protecting the Monarchy also showed up, and a violent brawl ensued.