A few years ago, when some people had already circled the globe, Paem Srichua, in her late 70s, began her first journey out of her small village in Buri Ram.

She knew difficulties were awaiting in Bangkok, her destination. But she also knew she had to make it through the tough times or she would not have a home to return to.

Grandma Paem cooked, ate, bathed and slept on the footpath in front of Government House which could not really be her "home away from home." The small, shanty cell could not keep her cool under the sun or dry when it rained. There were no stars to look for at night and no gentle breeze blew.

She could never understand how she became a defendant in a land dispute which ended up in the seizure of her 61 rai of land in Ban Nong Ree, Nang Rong district, which she has used to make a living all her life.

"I could not sleep. I had to tune to a sermon on the radio. I woke up early every morning to give alms to the monks to make myself peaceful. Yet, I still felt pain."

Grandma Paem and her neighbours were told by the court to leave their land as the state needed 10,500 rai to build a new government centre.

Authorities said the land has been set aside as public land since 1927, "the fact" the villagers had never known before.

The people used their land right certificates and records of their annual land tax payments to defend their possessions but district officials alleged that the documents were fake.

The villagers turned to the Forum of the Poor, a strong organisation of northeastern farmers, for help. They were not disappointed.

The eviction was postponed pending negotiations between farmer representatives and the state.

But problems of poor farmers were too vast to be settled at the provincial level. Farmers who felt that they have been abandoned by the state needed to make their presence felt.

The rural folks, young and old, from different provinces in the Northeast, started their expeditions to Bangkok to protect what belonged to them.

Lamai Bayan, from Ban Nong Ree, admitted life in the capital was hard.

Fears that their food and water might be poisoned by "ill-intentioned" people forced the protesters to have to go back and forth between Bangkok and their home to bring their own supplies for the rally.

Male villagers had to work as coolies at Pak Klong Talad market to make up for daily expenses. They had some money contributed by villagers who did not come but that was hardly enough.

A gathering in Bangkok cost the protesters about 20,000 baht.

Villagers of Ban Nong Ree had already joined the Forum of the Poor's rally in Bangkok three times. Each time, many became sick because they could not stand the heat and pollution in Bangkok.

Their latest fight, which lasted 99 days and seemed to end up in victory, made all happy as they hoped they would not have to return again to the city they have never liked.

The state agreed to reserve 500 rai for the bureaucracy centre and another 400 rai for a number of government agencies. Of the total 2,000 rai they have, Ban Nong Ree villagers have 1,100 rai left to do their farming.

The agreement was approved by the former Chavalit Yongchaiyudh government on May 6 last year.

But things turned silent after that. Villagers had checked with authorities, who could only tell them to wait.

They have not yet decided whether to join a massive rally of the Forum of the Poor and five other organisations for northeastern farmers or not.

The people of Ban Nong Ree doubted if the government was sincere in helping them after Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai had poorly treated 400 Forum of the Poor representatives who asked him to discuss the progress of assistance measures earlier this year.

Mr Chuan pledged to come out to receive the protest note by himself at 9 a.m. that day but later postponed the appointment to noon.

The representatives did not want to wait. They attached the letter to the gate of Government House, made a curse, and left.

The prime minister rushed to send officials out to invite them back.

"But we ran out of patience. We just told them to wait to receive the mob," Lamai said.

She said she knew Bangkok people always looked at the mob of the rural poor as a nuisance.

"Believe me. It was not fun at all coming here. But we had no choice. We had to come."

Lamai said the Forum of the Poor and the villagers always planned their moves in Bangkok together to avoid causing trouble.

She pleaded for understanding for the farmers from Bangkok people.

Most of Ban Nong Ree villagers have not yet sold their rice, despite good prices, because they wanted to save it as supplies if they had to join a protest in Bangkok again.

Grandma Paem released part of her rice to pay for a 5,000-baht fine after she lost in the land case. She still owes 3,000 baht to her lawyer.

At 82, Grandma Paem, too, might have to come to Bangkok again.

"Help me please. I am very old. Please help to save me and my children," she pleaded.