Chiang Mai – Army Rangers from the Pha Muang Task Force clashed with drug traffickers in the Mae Ai district, Chiang Mai. The group was caught carrying backpacks with raw opium across the border destined for the central region. Soldiers seized 16 kilograms of raw opium.
On the morning of 19 April, the Third Army’s Rangers received intelligence about a planned drug smuggling operation set to cross from a neighbouring Myanmar into the Mae Ai district, Chiang Mai. Soldiers from the Pha Muang Task Force were sent to patrol and monitor the area.
When they reached a natural crossing point near Ban Lai Ai, officers spotted one or two suspects carrying adapted backpacks, crossing into Thailand from Myanmar’s Shan State. The Soldiers identified themselves and tried to carry out a search, but the suspects opened fire. The gunfight lasted about three minutes.
After the exchange, all Thai soldiers were unharmed. Officers secured the area and called in more troops to check the scene. The suspects managed to flee back across the border, but left behind a modified sack used as a backpack.
Inside, officers found ten blocks of raw opium weighing about 16 kilograms. The drugs were handed over to Chiang Mai’s Mae Ai police for further action.
Recent reports indicate a resurgence of opium smuggling into northern Thailand, driven by Myanmar’s political instability following the 2021 coup. Myanmar overtook Afghanistan as the world’s top opium producer in 2023, with 1,080 metric tonnes produced, fueling cross-border trafficking.
In 2024, Thai authorities reported a sharp increase in heroin seizures (327 kg, nearly seven times 2023’s amount) in northern provinces like Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Mae Hong Son, with trafficking routes often crossing mountainous borders or the Mekong River.
Since 1 October 2024, the Pha Muang Task Force has stopped drugs from crossing the border in 244 operations. They have arrested 267 suspects and seized 95,326,088 methamphetamine pills, 145 kilograms of heroin, 7,141 kilograms of crystal meth, 22.1 kilograms of opium, and 355 kilograms of ketamine. Officers have clashed with smugglers 35 times, with 11 members of drug gangs killed.
If these drugs had reached Bangkok, the estimated street value would have been over 21.9 billion baht (US$656,000).
Thai efforts to combat smuggling include joint patrols with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and increased border checkpoints, though traffickers adapt by rerouting through Laos or other provinces.
While opium smuggling continues, methamphetamine has largely overtaken opium as the dominant drug trafficked into Thailand.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
