He said that his questions were aimed at sounding out views from the public regarding political matters.

Prayut gave a speech at Khon Kaen University on implementing the government’s Thailand 4.0 policy in the Northeast amid tight security in the auditorium. At the same venue in 2014, shortly after the military coup, a small group of students staged a protest against the power seizure led by Prayut, then the Army chief.

The prime minister said research should be conducted to further develop the country in line with the Thailand 4.0 policy.

He said his government had attempted to “tailor” solutions to problems of different groups of people, particularly those involving poverty. As many as 14.9 million people have registered as low-income earners, he said, adding that authorities would determine why there were still so many poor people.

In the latter part of his speech, the prime minister encouraged questions from the audience and suggestions as to what the government should do to solve their problems.

He also asked his audience not to hate the military or the post-coup government. “I would like to be the prime minister for everyone. All of us should help to avoid conflicts,” Prayut said.

“Please do not hate the military. Certainly some soldiers are bad, but there are bad fish in every occupation. In fact, there are more good people than bad ones,” he said.

Earlier in the day, military and police officers raided a Khon Kaen house used by the Dao Din activist group. The raid, which was carried out as students and activists were waking up, was broadcast live on Dao Din’s Facebook page “Dao Din Samanchon”, or “Dao Din, the commoners”.

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 claimed the officers, led by Lt-Colonel Pitakphol Chusri of the 23rd Military Circle of Khon Kaen Province, removed unidentified documents from the house.