Around 10,000 Thais joined a "run against dictatorship" on Sunday, shouting slogans and wielding three-finger salutes from the Hunger Games films in the largest show of political defiance since the 2014 coup.

The runners massed before dawn in a Bangkok park to take a stand against the government, which is led by former junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha and backed by a parliament stacked with MPs loyal to the military. The run was led by Thanathorn Juangroongr-uangkit, the charismatic billionaire leader of a stridently anti-military political party which is facing the threat of dissolution.

Thanathorn has been stripped of his MP status, and is facing a battery of legal charges.

"You can feel the anger of the people and their disappointment over the government," Thanathorn told AFP before the run. "I think this is the first step to general change in Thailand."

Before the start, the runners shouted pro-democracy slogans and chanted "Get out, Prayut".

They also wielded the three-finger salute made famous by the blockbuster Hunger Games films as a symbol of freedom from authoritarian rule. "I want a government that takes care of the people and spends money on our well-being and the environment instead of buying tanks and submarines," said runner Gig, dressed as a tank for the run.