Wild monkeys scared teachers as they rampaged through the school in a desperate search for food.

Footage shows the primates loitering across the hall as the instructors arrived before class in Satun province, Thailand, on November 21.

Some of the macaques had entered the faculty room, while the others sat on the roof's beams, enjoying the snacks they had stolen.

The adults frantically shouted and fled when there was a sound of falling objects.

Thailand's growing population of primates has become a problem as the animals are known to damage property, such as cars and buildings. Unafraid of the consequences, they have also started stealing food from tourists and locals.

Many provincial governments in Thailand have been lobbying for the removal of crab-eating macaques from the country's list of protected wildlife. The legal protections have been hampering efforts to curb the pillaging simians' ballooning numbers.

Meanwhile, the Thai government is taking steps to manage the monkey population in the country, including creating sanctuaries, mass sterilisation programs, educating the public on how to handle the animals properly, and relocating them to more suitable habitats.