Police arrested three former navy special-ops soldiers and two civilians with guns and ammunition in Rayong’s Muang district on Monday afternoon.
The three ex-soldiers were formerly members of the Naval Special Warfare Command.
Word of their arrest stirred speculation on the social media that they had been in Rayong to abduct caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra during her visit, or were linked to the attack on protesters in nearby Trat province on Saturday night.
All related agencies, including the police, denied this was the case.
National police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew said that the arrested men were not involved in the political violence.
Rear Adm Winai Klom-in, the head of the Naval Special Warfare Command, denied any connection with the three former special-ops soldiers, saying they had resigned from the service many years ago.
He asked the public not to try and link the arrests with politics.
The arrest of the five men followed the apprehension of Boy Singthong by police at a pub in tambon Nern Phra of Muang district in possession of a .38 handgun and bullets. He claimed to have connections with a highly influential person and had demanded free food and a regular payment from the pub.
Police later search a room at the Golden City hotel and found the five men in possession of seven guns. The men said they were there to provide security for Mr Boy.
A source at the navy said that the hotel had called police after the five men had stayed there for several days, had refused to give a check-out date and had not paid their bill.
The navy secretary, Rear Adm Kan Dee-ubon, said police had confirmed that the arrested men no longer had any connection with the navy as they had been discharged long ago. The three former navy soldiers were working at Suvarnabhumi airport, he said.