[5] In a Facebook post, Colonel Nutsara Woraphatharathorn, former spokesperson of the Royal Thai Army, dubbed the protesters “Mob Mung Ming” (ม็อบมุ้งมิ้ง; lit.

[6] Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, a notable politician from a junior coalition partner, expressed concern about implications for COVID-19 spread whilst signaling that he was neutral about the protestors' demands.

[11] Anon Nampa (Thai: อานนท์ นำภา), a leading figure of the protest, was arrested on multiple charges, including sedition,[12] after giving a public speech calling for monarchy reforms.

[24] On 25 August, police arrested four student leaders, Arnon Nampa, Suwanna Tanlek, Parit Chiwarak and Piyarat Jongthep, for multiple charges, including sedition.

[33] On 16 October, the BBC reported that the Thai government had blocked access to Change.org after a petition calling for Germany to declare the King persona non grata attracted nearly 130,000 signatures.

[36] Ministry of Digital Economy and Society stated it intended to prosecute internet service providers and online platforms which allows prohibited content.

Thammasat University's faculty of journalism and mass communications issued a similar statement, insisting on access to information as a basic right and urging the government to permit the media operate independently.

[42] In response, protesters, who had moved towards Government House after assembling at Victory Monument, delivered an ultimatum to Prayut to release detained activists and resign within three days, or encounter renewed demonstrations.

[43] Nationally, tens of thousands of people, led by administrators, participated in pro-royalist parades, many held to officially commemorate to the 120th birthday anniversary of Princess Srinagarindra, the king's late grandmother.

[44] On 22 October, the National Human Rights Commission welcomed the government's lifting the emergency decree and its stance of resolving the political conflict via parliamentary processes.

[45] On 9 February, the Ratsadon group, Arnon, Parit, Panupong,[46] Patipan Luecha, and Somyot were arrested and detained, charges of Lèse-majesté and 10 other offenses, including sedition, over 19–20 September protest by Pol Lt Col Chok-amnuay Wongboonrit, Chana Songkhram police.

[51] On 8 April, Arnon, Jatupat, and Somyot signed a letter expressing their intention to withdraw their lawyer from the trial because he cited lack of due fairness in the court so was therefore no longer required to defend them.

[57] On 7 October, Benja Apan was arrested on lèse majesté charge related to the 10 August 2021 'Car Mob' protest, demanding political and monarchy reform.

[60] In August, a Move Forward Party MP stated that some references to the monarchy in the protests (e.g. mockery, sarcastic comments, memes) are inconvenient truths that need attention.

He received stark responses from Manager Online and General Apirat Kongsompong, who insisted that some protesters intended to overthrow the monarchy, or had fallen victim to some manipulators with such intent.

[64] On 9 September, the leader of the Move Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat, stated in parliament that the students in the movements wished to be free of Thailand's bureaucratic and educational systems.

[69] Five members of Thai idol girl group BNK48 have also voiced their support for the movements: 'Music' Praewa Suthamphong, 'Jennis' Jennis Oprasert, 'Khamin' Manipa Roopanya, 'Faii' Sumitra Duangkaew,[70] and 'Kheng' Juthamas Khonta.

It further noted that the authorities had threatened mass arrests,[79] thereby indicating the government could no longer distinguish between protesters and criminals, and that the deployment of soldiers at Parliament and suspension of all sessions mentioning politics had effectively terminated legislative power.

It further noted up to 101 law professors and political scientists had issued an open letter questioning the legality of the Severe State of Emergency due to the lack of a national security threat such as terrorism or widespread violence.

[84] On 24 October, a video of the King praising former PDRC leader and ex-monk Buddha Issara and another counter-protester who raised a picture of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej during a protest was posted to a royalist Facebook group;[85] royalists embraced it, while the protesters viewed the comment as a position statement, prompting the hashtag #23ตุลาตาสว่าง (23Oct Eyes Opened) to trend on the country's Twitter.

"[87] Patrick Jory, a senior lecturer in Southeast Asian history at the University of Queensland, described the unpredictable nature of the King, "his willingness to use violence," and that he may pressured Prayut to suppress the protesters.

[88] State-sponsored[89] organized opposition to the protests emerged in August and included the accusation of a global conspiracy being funded or masterminded by foreign government or NGOs.

[45] On 30 August, approximately 1,000–1,200 mostly older royalists of the 'Thai Pakdee' (Loyal Thai) group, founded by right-wing politician Warong Dechgitvigrom, rallied in Bangkok and similarly alleged foreign 'interference'.

[102] On social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, user accounts, including ones coordinated by the state-sponsored, ultra-royalist, Rubbish Collection Organization,[103] which has been characterized as fascist,[a] accuse the student protesters of being anti-monarchists, rebels, traitors, and human 'garbage'.

[111] Phumiwat Raengkasiwit (ภูมิวัฒน์ แรงกสิวิทย์), an activist from the group Nawachiwin who had begun a hunger strike on 23 July in front of Sappaya-Sapasathan, the meeting place of the Thai parliament, to emphasize the extreme poverty due to COVID-19 mismanagement.

[116] On 16 September, Thailand's Constitutional Court accepted a complaint of treason against three leaders of the 10 August demonstration at Thammasat University filed by Nattaporn Toprayoon, an ultra-royalist.