BANGKOK, June 24 (AFP) - Hundreds of protesters rallied in Bangkok on Thursday (Jun 24) to call for the government's resignation, defying warnings from authorities about the kingdom's soaring COVID-19 caseload.

The marches came on the 89th anniversary of the Siamese Revolution - the uprising that transformed Thailand from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.

Bangkok was rocked by near-daily protests against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government in the second half of 2020, but the pro-democracy movement has lost steam after virus outbreaks and the jailing of student leaders.

Authorities have clamped down on public gatherings as the kingdom grapples with a third wave of infections, with its daily case toll hovering around the 3,000 mark.

Despite police warnings, hundreds gathered at Democracy Monument, a major intersection in Bangkok, and marched in the direction of Parliament House to protest against the rule of Prayut, the former military chief who came to power in a 2014 coup.

There are also demonstrations planned across the country, from the tourist city of Chiang Mai in the north to the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The Thai pro-democracy movement sent shockwaves through the country's establishment last year, particularly the protesters' most controversial demand - a call to reform how the monarchy operates.

About 150 people have been charged since the movement started, with key leaders hit with multiple counts under Thailand's tough royal defamation laws.

Many of them were released on bail under conditions that include not protesting.

The kingdom has recorded more than 228,500 total COVID-19 cases and 1,744 deaths.