CHIANG RAI – Border patrol security forces are still facing armed drug caravans crossing into Mae Sai again and again. Since January 30, officials say they’ve already run into three separate groups. The latest incident happened late at night near Pha Mi village, ending in a brief firefight and the seizure of more than 300 kilograms of crystal meth (ice).
Border patrol soldiers from Cavalry Company 2 under the Chao Tak Task Force (Pha Muang Task Forces) have been running regular patrols along the Thailand Myanmar border in Mae Sai District, Chiang Rai. Their mission is to spot and stop trafficking under Thailand’s narcotics laws, especially in forested mountain routes often used for smuggling.
At around 10:00 p.m. on February 3, 2026, patrol officers reached the area near Pha Mi village (Village 6, Wiang Phang Kham Subdistrict). They reported seeing about 10 to 15 suspicious individuals moving through the forest, carrying modified sacks and backpack loads as they crossed into Thailand.
When officers identified themselves and moved in to search, the group allegedly opened fire with unknown firearms. A firefight followed for about five minutes. No officers were injured. The suspects abandoned their loads and escaped into the dark, using their familiarity with the terrain. Because it was late at night, authorities held the area under armed security until morning.
At about 6:30 a.m. on February 4, border patrol officials returned to check the scene. They found 13 modified fertilizer sacks along the forest line. Inside was a Category 1 narcotic (ice). Each sack weighed about 24 kilograms, for a total of about 312 kilograms. The drugs were seized as evidence and sent to Mae Sai Police Station for legal action.
Officials also reported multiple major drug interceptions in Mae Sai since early 2026. On January 30, soldiers seized 6,000,000 meth pills after a convoy tried to enter through the mountains near Huai Nam Rin village (Village 7, Wiang Phang Kham Subdistrict). One day earlier, they intercepted another load of 200,000 meth pills linked to a route near San Ton Pui village (Village 5, Huai Khrai Subdistrict), also in Mae Sai District.
