Rally outside Thai parliament as PM survives vote

Around 1,000 protesters staged a rally outside the gate of Thailand's Parliament building after the prime minister and nine ministers from his cabinet won a no-confidence vote on Saturday. Speakers took turns denouncing the vote results, saying they were hosting their own version of the censure debate. Some attendees held signs criticising the government and the monarchy.

Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha survived the vote amid allegations that his government mismanaged the economy, bungled the provision of COVID-19 vaccines, abused human rights and fostered corruption.

It marked the second no-confidence test that his government has faced since taking office in July 2019, following a contested election after Prayuth seized power in a 2014 coup as the army chief. In February last year, he and five Cabinet ministers easily defeated a no-confidence vote in the lower house.

Image: AP