A brave pro-democracy protester was arrested while spraying an anti-monarchy slogan on a temple wall in Thailand.

Suttawee Soikham, 24, spray painted a black anarchy symbol and a crossed-out number 112 - the number of the country's benighted lese majeste law - on the wall of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok at around 5:30 PM on March 28.

As he started on another graffiti on the sacred temple's wall in the Grand Palace complex, two officers pinned him to the ground, with the vandal not resisting arrest.

He was charged with violating the cleanliness and orderliness act, while authorities determine if he had violated the lese majeste law.

Police said Suttawee is a freelance artist and a member of a pro-democracy group called 'Free People.'

He has several Facebook posts slamming the government and the monarchy. He was taken to the Metropolitan Police Division 6 for questioning.

The temple wall was repainted later that evening.

Suttawee was referencing Section 112 of Thailand's Criminal Code, also known as the lese majeste law, which says that 'whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years.'

Thailand is said to have the 'world's harshest lese majeste law' with up to 15 years imprisonment for each count.

Critics said broad interpretations of what constitutes an insult to monarchy allow authorities to wield the law against government opponents.