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The Chaiya district farmers said they were scared to return to their land and begged the police to "please help us".

"A woman threatened us not to return to our plantations anymore," Jittaporn Jaroenphaet told police.

She added the woman claimed to have the backing of "senior military officers" and anyone who did return would "be gunned down".

Jittaporn and her neighbours came to the capital to make the complaint after local police appeared reluctant to investigate.

The plantations are in forests but have been worked since before the area became forest reserves. The Forest Department agreed to lease the land to the farmers, they said.