TAK – Tensions at the Tha Song Yang border in Tak Province are rising again, as Karen military forces attacked a Myanmar army base just across the river from Tha Song Yang District.
Explosions and gunfire echoed throughout the day, sending Myanmar villagers fleeing across the Moei River into Thailand in chaos. Thai residents near the border were left anxious, preparing makeshift shelters out of fear for their safety. Many expect heavy fighting to continue through the night.
At 2:30 p.m. on Monday, the situation along the Thai-Myanmar border near Tha Song Yang, Tak, grew tense. Rapid deployment teams from the KNLA and KNDO surrounded and attacked the Myanmar army’s 24th Infantry Battalion base at Mor Pokay, Ban Joketa, Laing Bwe Township, Hpa-an District, Karen State.
The base sits directly opposite Ban Mae Tan in Tha Song Yang, Tak, about 500 metres from the Moei River border.
Fighting between the two armies has grown more intense, with loud blasts shaking homes in Tha Song Yang and causing windows to rattle. Locals living near the district office are on edge, some rushing to find safe places to shelter.
The recent wave of gunfire and explosions along the border forced Myanmar villagers to grab their children and belongings, fleeing across the Moei River to Thailand. About 100 people crossed at first, with numbers growing as the fighting continues.
Thai security forces, including the Ratchamanu Task Force, 35th Ranger Regiment Task Force, Border Patrol Police 344, and local authorities in Tha Song Yang, have stepped in to help. They are providing safety and humanitarian aid to the Myanmar refugees in secure areas of Tha Song Yang.
Authorities expect clashes between the two armies to last throughout the night. Thai security teams have fully armed patrols along the border, ready to prevent any cross-border threats and keep residents safe around the clock.
Fighting in Myanmar has grown since the 2021 military coup, drawing in the Myanmar junta, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), and the Karen National Defence Organization (KNDO). These clashes form part of the wider civil war.
The KNLA acts as the armed force of the Karen National Union (KNU), while the KNDO works as a militia also led by the KNU. Both groups, made up of ethnic Karen fighters, seek self-rule and push back against the military’s control in Karen State and nearby regions.
In April 2025, the KNLA joined with People’s Defence Forces (PDF) and Mon fighters to attack junta posts along the Asia Highway in Kawkareik and Kyonedoe. They focused their efforts on major trading routes, aiming to disrupt the junta’s supply lines.
The month before, in March 2025, the KNLA and its allies captured Pulutu base in Hpa-an after weeks of fighting. They killed two junta soldiers and took four prisoners. Earlier, in December 2024, they took control of a military camp in Hpapun Township, working closely with the PDF and other groups to build on their progress.
The military relies on air raids, often hitting villages and towns, even after ceasefires were announced following a strong earthquake in March 2025. In one case, a raid in May 2025 killed 17 students in Sagaing. While this attack was outside the KNLA and KNDO areas, it highlighted how civilians have suffered during the conflict.
To respond to losses on the ground, the junta uses drones and airstrikes, giving them the upper hand in the air. Resistance forces have few ways to defend against these attacks, leaving communities exposed.
