Motorists who needed to use the Din Daeng-Don Muang tollway to enter Bangkok brawled with protesters from Pathum Thani province who blocked the tollway ramp in support of demands for immediate drainage of floodwater from their communities on Wednesday.
Frustrated motorists approached the protesters who were blocking the entrance to the elevated road in front of Zeer Rangsit department store and asked them to open the ramp to traffic.
The protesters refused to make way because they were using the road block as leverage to demand the Flood Relief Operation Command of the government drain off the flood that has plagued Pathum Thani for over a month.
As the negotiations failed, people on both sides began throwing punches about 2pm. Police from Vibhavadi in Bangkok and from Pathum Thani intervened to break up the brawl.
Kiatisak Songsaeng, a losing Democrat candidate in this year's general election, led the protesters from communities in Rangsit and Lam Luk Ka areas of Pathum Thani to block the tollway at noon. They demanded quick flood solutions.
The people complained about their prolonged hardship and the pollution from the stagnant floodwater.
Their blockade caused a big traffic snarl on inbound lanes of Phahon Yothin Road connecting to the Din Daeng-Don Muang tollway.
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