The seizure of nearly 50 kilos of rhino horn came days after 300 kilos of elephant ivory was impounded by Thai authorities.
Thai customs have confiscated 21 rhino horns with an estimated value of nearly US$5 million.
The seizure of nearly 50 kilos of rhino horn came days after 300 kilos of elephant ivory was impounded by Thai authorities.
The rhino horns were found in luggage sent from Ethiopia to Thailand. The horns arrived at Bangkok's international airport where two Thai women who had travelled from Vietnam and Cambodia came to collect them. The pair managed to escape from police.
Officials describe the incident as an elaborate smuggling effort which involved several people inside Thailand and abroad.
Activists say that despite improvements in Thailand's anti-smuggling efforts, its main airport remains a popular hub for wildlife smuggling in Asia.
Some 29,000 rhinos are left in the wild today compared to 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century, according to the International Rhino Foundation.
Rhino horns are prized as an ingredient for traditional medicines believed to be effective in treating ailments ranging from fever to cancer.