Demonstrators defied restrictions on public gatherings introduced as Thailand battles its worst outbreak of the virus to call for Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha to quit.

The Thai government has come under fire for the sluggish rollout of its covid vaccination programme, and the protesters also demanded it start using mRNA shots such as Pfizer and Moderna, rather than China's Sinovac.

The 500 or so protesters were vastly outnumbered by police, who said Friday they planned to deploy nearly 6,000 officers to tackle the rally.

In the southern province of Narathiwat dozens of people also protested. Riding motorbikes, they held up signs and made the three-finger salute, a sign of resistance.

A covid spike and the arrest of key leaders saw the protests peter out over the new year and they have struggled to regain the momentum of 2020.