Thai Protestors unsurprised by ruling clearing PM

Pro-democracy protesters in Thailand reacted with resignation to the result of a court case on Wednesday that could have seen Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha being forced out of office.

Demonstrators began gathering at a busy junction in Bangkok shortly after the Constitutional Court delivered its judgement that Prayuth did not breach ethics clauses in the country’s constitution.

The Constitutional Court ruled on a complaint brought by the Pheu Thai party, the largest opposition grouping in Parliament, that Prayuth had broken the law by continuing to live in his military residence after he retired as army commander in September 2014.

"It is what we expected," said 27-year-old protester Champo Noichan.

"The protests will become more and more intense because of the results of the court, and I think a lot of us know already what the result would be," said another protester.

The ruling comes as Prayuth has been dealing with a persistent student-led pro-democracy movement that has been holding frequent well-attended rallies demanding that he and his government step down, charging that they came to power illegitimately.

The Prime Minister earlier spent part of the day on official business in Samut Songkhram, near Bangkok, looking unconcerned about the ruling.