About 100 villagers laid siege to Wiang Sa police station in Wiang Sa district of Nan province on Sunday night in protest against the arrest of their village chief.
The people of Ban Huay Mongkol villlage in tambon Mae Sakhon learned about 9.30pm that Amnuay Wuthiya, their village chief, had been arrested for allegedly demanding a bribe from a resident, Thongsuk Luekhamchan.
Earlier, about 11.30am on Sunday, Mr Amnuay and his assistants caught Mr Thongsuk cutting down trees in the community forest with a chainsaw.
Under a resolution of the village committee for the protection and preservation of the community forest, anyone found illegally felling trees in the forest is subject to a fine of 5,000 baht.
Mr Thongsuk bargained for the reduction of the fine to 4,000 baht and the village committee agreed. The money would go into the village fund for the protection of the community forest.
However, police arrived at the village soon after and arrested Mr Amnuay for allegedly demanding a bribe. This angered the residents, who surrounded the police station and demanded justice for the village chief.
After more than three hours of negotiations without results, Lt Col Wattana Chanpaijit, chief of intelligence of the Nan office of the Internal Security Operations Command, and Pol Lt Col Uthai Wongkhamsaen, deputy superintendent of the Nan police, intervened.
The police agreed to release Mr Amnuay without charges and the villagers agreed to drop the 4,000 baht fine under the community rule. The police would investigate whether the chainsaw's use and the felling of the trees were illegal.
The villagers were satisfied with the settlement and dispersed.