Thousands protest privatisation
10,000 workers marched to the royal palace, home of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, to protest against Prime Minister Shinawatra’s plans to privatise state industries.

Workers from five state-owned enterprises wore the national colour yellow and carried pictures of the king to show their respect.

Airports of Thailand, Thai Airways, and the biggest Thai oil company, state-owned PTT, have already been sold off, despite being profitable concerns under national management. Next on Shinawatra’s agenda are telecoms, electricity generation, railways, and waterworks, all of whose workers were strongly represented at the demonstration.

Using the petition to the king as a reason, after the march to the palace, state-owned Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) union leader Sirichai Mai-ngarm recommended that all anti-privatisation protests planned in the following 79 days be suspended because of the petition to the king. Egat workers rejected his proposal.

Radio Australia, 11 May 2004; World Socialist Web Site, 15 May 2004