Police on Wednesday morning searched the house of a leading protester against the controversial housing estate for appeal court officials at the foot of Doi Suthep mountain in Chiang Mai, looking for evidence of last week's banners.

Around 1,000 people rallied in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai on Sunday to protest the construction of homes for officials on forested land flanking a revered mountain, in one of the largest shows of dissent under junta rule.