The Move Forward Party leader received 324 votes in his favour, 182 votes against and 199 abstentions in the first prime ministerial vote. The result left him 51 votes short of his target, reported the Bangkok Post.
Wearing orange shirts, the colour of the Move Forward Party, people at the gathering held small placards accusing members of the Senate of being “cheats” and criticising the vote to deny Move Forward leader Mr Pita the position of prime minister.
Larger, similar gatherings were held in Bangkok last night.
The gathering was peaceful, but watched over by police at the scene. There were no incidents, and the gathering soon dispersed.
Move Forward won all three Phuket MP seats in the May 14 election, with each seat won by clear strong margins.
Nantawat Saeng-ngoen, Deputy Assistant to Chalermpong Saengdee, the elected MP for Phuket District 2, urged people to be peaceful and maintain hope for the future.
“Those who haven’t voted yet [abstained], if you didn’t vote today, it doesn’t mean you won’t vote for us next time. It depends on how the party understands how to negotiate or talk,” he said.
The House and Senate will convene again on July 19 to vote again for a prime minister to lead the next government.
"Everyone needs to comes together to cheer each other up and not create hate, not cause trouble,” Mr Nantawat said.
“Do not insult anyone, respect each other, because everyone came for democracy and we want all the people in the country to be happy. This is our main goal,” Mr Nantawat concluded.