Thailand’s anti-government protesters, emboldened by their weekend demonstration which attracted crowds of 50,000, on Sunday called for a general strike in October as the pro-democracy movement deepens its calls for monarchy reform and political change. The demonstrators submitted an open letter addressed to King Maha Vajiralongkorn which contained three major key demands: monarchy reform, the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his government, and the drafting of a new, more democratic constitution to replace the current one drafted under military rule. The protesters’ letter, which also called for an end to feudalism and dictatorship, was hand-delivered to Bangkok metropolitan police chief Pakkapong Pongpetra, after they dropped their demand to meet a representative of the king’s privy council. Activists declared victory after sending the letter. “Our greatest victory in the two days is showing that ordinary people like us can send a letter to royals,” Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, told the crowd. The protesters then dispersed without marching to Government House as earlier planned. Saturday’s rally attracted more than 50,000 demonstrators. Phakphong Phongphetra, head of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said on a video broadcast from the scene that the letter would be handed to police headquarters to decide how to proceed. The Royal Palace was not immediately available for comment. The king, who spends much of his time in Europe, is not in Thailand now. Prayuth, who has been in power since a 2014 coup, thanked both the protesters and the police for their peaceful conduct and urged all Thais to join together in overcoming the challenges that the country was facing, including Covid-19. Shortly after sunrise on Sunday, protesters also cemented a “people’s plaque” near the Grand Palace in Bangkok in the area known as Sanam Luang, or Royal Field. It reads: “At this place the people have expressed their will: that this country belongs to the people and is not the property of the monarch as they have deceived us.” Thai students are revolting and the government isn’t sure what to do The plaque symbolically replaces one that mysteriously disappeared from outside the palace in 2017, after the king took the throne, which had commemorated end of absolute monarchy in 1932. Bangkok authorities would need to determine if the plaque was illegal, and if so it would need to be removed, Bangkok’s deputy police chief Piya Tawichai told reporters. Protesters say the constitution gives the king too much power and that it was engineered to allow Prayuth to keep power after elections last year. He says that vote was fair. Thai authorities have said criticising the monarchy is unacceptable in a country where the king is constitutionally “enthroned in a position of revered worship”. Prominent right-wing politician Warong Dechgitvigrom said the actions of the protesters were inappropriate and that the king was above politics. “It didn’t achieve anything,” he said. “These actions are symbolically against the king, but the king is not an opponent.” Prayuth, who has been in power since a 2014 coup, thanked both the protesters and the police for their peaceful conduct and urged all Thais to join together in overcoming the challenges that the country was facing, including Covid-19. Activists intend to press their demands by gathering at parliament on Thursday, the second day of a two-day debate on motions to amend the 2017 Constitution. Thailand protests: how Hong Kong inspired the revolution of Thais The organiser of the weekend protest, student group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, on Sunday called for a general strike on October 14 – the date of another planned mass rally – and urged supporters to show solidarity by not standing during the royal anthem and displaying white ribbons. The group also urged Thais to a boycott Siam Commercial Bank, in which the king is the majority shareholder. The youth-led protests have been drawing increasing numbers of older people. That includes supporters of the red-shirt movement loyal to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the populist billionaire ousted in a military coup in 2006 who now lives in self-exile abroad. Exiled critics inspire young protesters to openly take on Thai king Thaksin had clashed for years with pro-establishment “yellow shirts” before Prayuth seized power in 2014. “The new generation is achieving what their parents and grandparents didn’t dare. I’m very proud of that,” said Somporn Outsa, 50, a red shirt veteran. “We still respect the monarchy, but it should be under the constitution.” Titipol Phakdeewanich, dean of political science at Ubon Ratchathani University, said: “Radical change is hard in Thailand, but the movement has at least kept the momentum going,” Reuters, Kyodo