Three armed men robbed confiscated phayung logs from forest officials in Chanthaburi and attacked them before escaping with the officials' guns and the logs worth about 500,000 baht.
They hit the officials with guns and tied their hands and legs in the attack early yesterday at the forest reserve office 13 in tambon Thungbencha of Thai Mai district, according to police.
Prayun Phirakun, a forest protection official, and his two assistants -- Chukiat Phusi and Thanakon Phoyai -- were found locked in a toilet when police turned up later.
The officers said two shotguns were stolen, along with 10 logs of Siamese rosewood, known locally as phayung.
The stolen logs are among more than 600 phayung logs confiscated from forest encroachers accused of felling the protected trees.
The thieves, hiding their faces under beanies, fled in a white pickup truck which carried no number plate, police said.
The robbery was well planned and probably intended to respond to the state crackdown on illegal phayung logging, said Chanthaburi police chief Pol Maj Gen Charan Chitchueachun.
The attackers are believed to be part of a group of wood traders who were affected by the crackdown on forest encroachment, he said.
They had likely scouted the office previously and asked to inspect the seized wood.