Police have ordered surveillance of an area around Government House on Monday in the lead-up to an expected march to the venue by pro-election activists, who plan to deliver an ultimatum to the government to hold an election within this year.

The Duterte administration is embarking on a proposed $180-billion (Bt5.7 trillion) infrastructure programme to usher in a “golden age of infrastructure” by raising annual spending from 3 per cent to 7 per cent of the gross domestic product for construction projects in 2016-2022.