Myanmar border alert issued for 10 Thai provinces

A Myanmar border alert now covers 10 Thai provinces after bullets and shell fragments from fighting across the frontier landed in Mae Sot district, Tak, damaging homes and property. The Interior Ministry ordered governors to step up security and prepare shelters, supplies and evacuation plans, The Thaiger reported.

The measures were announced on Monday, November 9, as clashes between Myanmar's military and resistance groups continued near Phalu village on the Myanmar side of the border, opposite Tak province.

Unsit Sampuntharat, permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, said governors had been told to work closely with the army, police and local officials to monitor the situation and protect people living along the frontier.

Which provinces are under the Myanmar border alert?

The order applies to every province that shares a land border with Myanmar, stretching from the far north to the upper south of the country:

• Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son in the north
• Tak, where the stray fire struck Mae Sot district
• Kanchanaburi and Ratchaburi in the west
• Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan
• Chumphon and Ranong in the upper south

Phuket is not on the list. Ranong, the closest of the 10 provinces to the island, sits on the Andaman coast several hours' drive to the north.

Governors must coordinate through provincial border command centres and report any serious incident or major development to the ministry so that it can take further action.

Five measures to protect residents

The ministry set out five measures aimed at keeping border communities safe and making sure help can reach them quickly if the fighting spills onto Thai soil.

First, provincial officials must closely watch and assess the fighting across the border with military, police, security and local administration teams, and identify the areas most at risk. Provinces must also have staff, vehicles, shelters, safe areas and temporary accommodation ready, along with food, drinking water, medicine and other essentials.

Residents must be warned without delay if conditions get worse. If the fighting threatens their safety, officials are to move them to safer places, with children, older people, people with disabilities, patients and other vulnerable groups taken first.

Second, monitoring of border areas and crossing points will be tightened, with particular attention on illegal crossings, the movement of people, drug trafficking and the smuggling of other illegal goods.

Third, officials must assess injuries to residents, damage to property and lost income, and pay assistance and compensation under the relevant laws so that affected families can get back to normal life.

Fourth, governors must follow existing procedures for people fleeing unrest in Myanmar and work with other agencies to prepare temporary safe areas in case the number of people crossing the border rises.

Finally, governors may declare emergency disaster assistance zones if fighting near the border seriously affects the lives and property of large numbers of Thai residents. Such a declaration allows provinces to release relief and compensation under the relevant rules.

Why the frontier is on edge

Mae Sot is one of the busiest crossing points between the two countries and a major hub for trade, linked to Myawaddy on the Myanmar side by the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge over the Moei River. Stray fire from battles around Myawaddy has reached the Thai bank in past years too, which is why the town is watched so closely.

Myanmar has been in conflict since the military seized power in February 2021, and clashes between the army and armed resistance groups have repeatedly affected areas close to Thailand. Our earlier report on Myanmar airstrikes hitting a clinic and a school gives more background on the fighting.

Travellers who were planning a trip to the border town can read our guide to villages to visit around Mae Sot, but should check the latest local advice before setting off. Myanmar nationals living and working in Thailand can find practical information in our explainer on immigration guidelines for Myanmar citizens.

The report did not mention any injuries on the Thai side. Residents of the border provinces are advised to follow instructions from their district offices and to report any incident to local authorities.

The original report was published by The Thaiger.

Image: The Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge at Mae Sot, seen from the Thai side, one of the crossing points covered by the Myanmar border alert. Photo by Doc1981 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.