A lone man with an electric saw tried to break into Government House in Bangkok on Thursday, saying he was protesting because he had not been paid for working on the construction of a government hospital.
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The incident occurred at 8.20am at the building’s entrance gate 4 on the side of Phitsanulok Road in Bangkok.
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The man, wearing an orange vest and long trousers, tried to enter the gate but was blocked by police and security guards there. He had his power saw turned on the entire time.
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His action startled passersby, including officials and the general public.
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Police set up steel barricades to block the entrance and calmed the man down before taking him to the government’s complaint centre across the street.
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The 53-year-old man, who gave his name as Chalerm Sonnathi, was from the northern province of Nan. He said he had come to the building many times, ever since Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha was prime minister, to demand unpaid wages for the construction work he did on a government hospital.
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Officials said Mr Chalerm had previously staged several protests about various issues, usually near Government House.
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He once climbed a tree outside the fence on the side of Ratchadamnoen Nok Road, and in 2015 made his way to the rooftop of a police station, where he held up a protest sign.
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No one was injured in Thursday’s incident and the situation was brought under control by the police.