Rubber protesters returned to the Khuan Nong Hong intersection of Nakhon Si Thammarat on Monday after police removed road blocks and re-opened the highway in the morning and there were reports of clashes between the two sides.
About 1,000 police were deployed around protest sites at Khuan Nong Hong intersection and another spot on Highway No 41.
More than 200 rubber and palm planters, mostly younger people, had returned to the site before noon, Thai media reported. The protesters were reported to have weapons, but what kind of weapons was not clear.
Around 12.40pm, the protesters surrounded the police, throwing things at them, the reports said. Police responded by firing tear gas at the protesters. There were minor injuries on both sides, the reports said.
Rubber and palm planters blocked Highway 41 in Chulabhorn district in Nakhon Si Thammarat Saturday night, in a renewal of a protest demanding the government guarantee prices for sheet rubber and palm oil at a time of plunging world prices.