Thai authorities on Thursday displayed to journalists nearly 3 tonnes of scales from pangolins, the world's most poached animal, seized in anti-smuggling operations since December.

The scales, worth more than $800,000, were shipped from Africa and confiscated by police, customs and wildlife officials at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Thai customs chief Kulit Sombatsiri told reporters that an estimated 6,000 pangolins were killed to produce almost 3 tonnes of scales, which are used in traditional medicines in Asia.