Protesters vented their fury in Thailand last night over the recent sham election which saw the military block the winner of a national poll from becoming Prime Minister.

Pro-democracy group The United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration were joined by several hundred locals as they protested at the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre in Bangkok to voice their outrage over the parliament vote results.

Harvard University graduate Pita Limjaroenrat of the liberal Move Forward Party won the 'general election' on May 15 but still needed the approval of the army, through votes cast by their 250 hand-picked senators.

However, he was blocked by the army through a vote in parliament on Thursday, July 13. The result could lead to months of political stalemate with the monarchy-controlled junta desperate to avoid reform of a system that has seen royals and establishment figures amass vast wealth.

The protesters urged the senators to 'honour the will of the people and uphold democracy' by selecting Pita as prime minister. They slammed the MPs and senators who abstained, calling them 'spineless'.

Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said the next vote for prime minister is scheduled on July 19 and 20 - with Pita unlikely to make the breakthrough needed due to stubborn resistance against his plans to drag some of Thailand's benighted social practices into the modern age.

Meanwhile, the Move Forward Party has submitted a draft registration seeking to abolish Section 272 of the constitution, which aims to remove the voting rights of senators in the selection of the prime minister.

Following the political chaos, the British Embassy in Bangkok issued an update to their Thailand Travel Advice warning tourists. They said ' the political situation can be unpredictable and has led to periods of civil and political unrest' and urged British nationals to 'avoid protests, political gatherings, demonstrations and marches'.