CHIANG RAI – Soldiers from the Pha Muang Task Force launched an operation against a drug trafficking group along the border near Ban Pha Mee, Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai.
This took place in the early hours of 9 September, when officers managed to seize as many as 2 million meth pills. These meth pills were part of a larger network involved in illicit drug distribution, highlighting the ongoing issue of meth pills in the region.
At 10:00 on 9 September 2025, Major General Kidakorn Chantra, commander of the Pha Muang Task Force, directed Colonel Kitti Najai, deputy commander of the special Ta Pha Chao Taksin unit, along with local officials and police from Mae Sai Police Station, to inspect the area after the clash.
The confrontation had broken out with drug traffickers moving through a route near Ban Pha Mee, Wiang Phang Kham subdistrict, Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, during the night of 8 September.
The incident started at around 21:00, when a group of soldiers from the Pha Daen base of the Ta Pha Chao Taksin task unit were patrolling the border to block drug smuggling operations.
Patrols spotted a group of 8 to 10 suspects moving along the route carrying modified sacks on their backs. When the officers identified themselves and asked to search the group, the suspects opened fire with unidentified weapons.
A five-minute gunfight followed. Taking advantage of the dark and their knowledge of the area, the traffickers managed to escape.
After the area was secured, reinforcements arrived to keep control of the scene. At daybreak, authorities searched the site thoroughly and uncovered 10 adapted sacks. Each sack contained about 200,000 meth pills, totalling over 2 million pills.
Officers collected all evidence and prepared to hand it over to the investigators for legal processing.
Major General Kidakorn stressed that officials must stay alert across the whole border, even during the rainy season, to prevent illegal activity and protect the country’s sovereignty at every opportunity.
The Pha Muang Task Force, a specialized unit of the Royal Thai Army, plays a critical role in combating drug trafficking along Thailand’s northern border, particularly in Chiang Rai Province, a key entry point for narcotics from the Golden Triangle region.
Operating across rugged terrain near Myanmar and Laos, the task force conducts high-stakes patrols and intelligence-driven operations to intercept drug smugglers.
In 2024 and early 2025, their efforts resulted in significant seizures, including over 186 million meth pills, 268.1 kilograms of heroin, and 1,438.3 kilograms of crystal meth, with a street value exceeding 29 billion baht.
These operations, often involving armed clashes, have led to the arrest of hundreds of suspects and the disruption of major smuggling routes, though the persistent flow of drugs from Myanmar’s Shan State highlights the ongoing challenge.
The task force’s relentless efforts, supported by advanced tools and inter-agency collaboration, underscore their vital role in safeguarding Thailand from the regional drug trade.
Soldiers Seize 10 Million Meth Pills After Firefight
Also on Tuesday, Gunfire echoed across Doi Pha Mee, near the Thai-Myanmar border, as soldiers from Pha Meuang Task Force encountered a group of smugglers attempting to bring methamphetamine into Thailand late at night.
The smugglers fired at the soldiers while trying to escape, leaving behind ten sacks full of methamphetamine tablets strewn across the mountain. Officers counted at least 10 million pills abandoned in the rush.
On 9 September, military personnel from Task Force Jaotak inspected an area near Ban Pha Mee in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, right along the Thai-Myanmar border. The unit, assigned to watch and block any violations under the 2021 Narcotics Code, was on patrol throughout the night.
Late in the evening, they spotted about 8 to 10 suspects, each carrying large, modified backpacks along a narrow mountain route. As officials stepped forward to search them, the group opened fire using unidentified guns. The firefight lasted roughly five minutes. All soldiers remained unharmed. More troops soon arrived to support the operation.
At sunrise, around 6:30 a.m., officers returned to sweep the area. They did not find any suspects but came across ten large sacks left behind. Inside each sack was methamphetamine with roughly 200,000 pills per bag, totalling around 2 million tablets scattered through the forest.
Officers seized the drugs as evidence and coordinated with relevant agencies for further investigation and processing.
