The rally began at 7am with protesters verbally attacking Seri Sripakphraek, the director of Phra Phrome Phitthayanusorn School, through loudspeakers.

They accused him of questionable ethics and demanded his resignation.

The protest ended when Seri showed up and said that he would seek a transfer.

The parents said that Seri and his wife had produced 500 amulets using the name of the school without permission from the parents-teachers' association.

They said his order to make each of the 500 students buy an amulet at Bt599 was extremely inappropriate.

A student said Seri also ordered each student in the upper high-school classes to sell 50 certificates for regular amulets, and another 50 certificates for a special Jatukham Rammathep edition that would soon be produced at Bt1,499 in return for a 20-per-cent sales commission.

Parents of those in the high-school classes initially agreed to comply with the order, given last Friday, but later changed their minds and mobilised to remove Seri.

The protesters later sent four people, two each representing parents and students, to discuss the problem with a senior education official, who later mediated in negotiations between the group and Seri, who agreed to voluntarily seek a transfer.

Seri has been transferred to a temporary post at a regional education office in the province with immediate effect.

At the request of the parents, the school's management agreed to stop producing the amulets using the school's name and replaced some of the teachers who were close to Seri and were involved in the production of the amulets.