Garlic is being brought into the country from neighbouring states as the country faces an allium crisis.

Smuggling of the bulbs has led to the military working with the customs department and the commerce ministry to crackdown on the practice.

Local farmers have suffered severely, with garlic prices dropping from 115 baht (£2.70) per kilo in the same period in 2017 to 77.5 baht (£1.81).

Thailand imports about 44,000 tonnes of garlic a year to keep up with demand, with a total of 121,000 tonnes consumed annually in the country.