Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has denied suggestions that a police inspection of his vehicle in Buri Ram was staged, saying officers were simply performing their duties at a routine checkpoint.
Mr Anutin's vehicle was stopped and searched by police and district administrative officials at a joint checkpoint outside Ban Dan police station on Sunday.
The checkpoint was established under the government's policy of stepped-up inspections for firearms and illegal drugs.
He said there is no reason to overthink the incident, as checkpoints are routine law enforcement.
Asked whether his visit had been planned, he said there was no staging, and he had simply travelled to Buri Ram during the holiday after not visiting the province for several weeks.
He travelled with his personal staff, without a motorcade, an official deployment or a welcoming ceremony, meaning police had no reason to know who was inside the vehicle.
Officers later told him they had arrested a suspected drug offender at the same checkpoint. Police said the man panicked on seeing the checkpoint, fell from his motorcycle and was found carrying drugs.
Mr Anutin asked, "Did you find anything?" Officers replied, "No, sir."
When he clarified that he meant what they typically found at checkpoints, the officers answered, "Only drugs, sir."
