Anti-International Monetary Fund (IMF) protesters scuffled with police near Bangkok’s Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) on Thursday, 15 October 2026, as demonstrators attempted to hang a banner from a pedestrian overpass.
Members of the People’s Network Against the World Bank and IMF tried to reach the overpass at the Khlong Toei intersection, close to the venue of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group.
Police moved to block the protesters from putting up the banner, leading to a brief confrontation before demonstrators eventually succeeded in hanging it.
The protest took place amid heightened security around the convention centre, where the annual meetings are being held from 12 to 18 October.
Roads around the venue were subject to restrictions on 15 October as authorities managed security and traffic during the gathering.
The March and the Confrontation
The group had earlier gathered at Customs Intersection before beginning a march towards the QSNCC.
Demonstrators assembled at 8 am local time, carrying balloons and banners, with some wearing masks of United States (US) President Donald Trump and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
Police deployed personnel along the march route, forming barricades at the Rama IV and Asok intersections to block all routes leading to the convention centre.
The standoff caused heavy traffic congestion in the surrounding area.
At around 9:30 am, tensions rose when some protesters climbed onto a pedestrian overpass and called on police to withdraw so they could display their banners.
A scuffle broke out, after which police adjusted their formation and pulled back to reduce tensions and avoid a violent escalation.
The network said officers allegedly seized banners and injured demonstrators during the confrontation.
The People’s Network Against World Bank-IMF later condemned the police action, alleging excessive force and demanding an official explanation.
The group said it had notified Tharuea Police Station in advance and negotiated the route from the Customs Department to an area near the convention centre.
It called on the Royal Thai Police to clarify the legal grounds for blocking the activity and seizing the banner.
