The raid, which was carried out as students and activists were still half asleep, was broadcast live on Dao Din’s Facebook page “Dao Din Samanchon” (or Dao Din, the commoners, in English).

On the live video, the activists asked officers for a search warrant and questioned how they could carry out a search operation without a warrant.

They also alleged the officers, led by Lt Col Pitakphol Chusri, of the 23rd Military Circle of Khon Kaen Province, removed some unidentified documents from the house.

After about 45 minutes some 30 officers left the house saying that they were told by their “superior” to leave the young activists alone.

According to their Facebook post, Dao Din assumed the operation was pre-emptive as Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, is scheduled to visit Khon Kaen today.

Prayut and his Cabinet are scheduled to visit Khon Kaen province today to move forward the Thailand 4.0 plan, and follow the implementation of government policies in the area.

Dao Din is a Khon Kaen-based activist group advocating community rights and has been in the spotlight since it moved against the junta government in 2014.

Some of the group members had protested non-violently by making the three-finger gesture against Prayut in 2014 during his visit in the province. The gesture mimicked from the blockbuster film “The Hunger Games”, symbolising resistance to oppressive rule.

Dao Din’s members included Pai or Jatupat Boonpattararaksa who is currently in detention for alleged computer and lese majeste crimes.