The activist was wearing a paper mask with a cartoon face of Kent Cheng, a Hong Kong actor who is widely regarded as a lookalike of Deputy Premier and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, when he was approached by officers from Yannawa police station in Bangkok.

Up to 100 uniformed and plainclothes officers had been keeping a close watch on Chatchai, as well as a number of local and foreign press members.

Chatchai insisted that he had broken none of the laws that some of his fellow activists had previously fallen foul of.

As a solo performer, he said, he could not have broken the junta’s ban on political gatherings of five or more people.

Moreover, his place of performance – on the Skywalk in Sathorn district – was not within a 150-metre radius of a Royal Palace, hence he could not have violated the Public Assembly Act, he added.

“I insist that I’ve not come to assemble. I’m here to perform arts,” said the activist from the Young People for Social Democracy Movement.

“It depends on how you interpret it. My performance is meant to reflect society. I will keep performing until a person behind the mask steps away,” he said, apparently alluding to Deputy PM Prawit.

Pol Colonel Ponnarong Suriyachaiwong, superintendent at Yannawa police station, said the police had merely “invited” Chatchai for a talk, without pressing any charges against him.

“Despite being a lone performer, he drew a lot of attention from people and the media. His action could also trigger further assemblies,” Ponnarong suggested, adding, “It also obstructed public transport.”