More than 200 Thai border residents demand government protection from Myanmar fighting

TAK — 27 October 2026, More than 200 residents in Mae Sot district gathered to demand government protection after stray bullets and explosive rounds from fighting across the Myanmar border allegedly landed in their villages over the past year, damaging homes and injuring Thai residents.

The gathering took place at Ban Mae Kon Ken School in Village 9, Mahawan subdistrict, Mae Sot district, Tak province, at around 10:00. Residents of Mae Kon Ken and nearby communities along the Thai-Myanmar border assembled to call for urgent measures to protect their lives and property from the spillover of fighting in Myanmar.

Several community representatives addressed the crowd from a temporary stage for more than an hour. Residents also held signs highlighting the impact of bullets and explosive rounds reportedly fired from across the border.

The group submitted a written petition to Mae Sot district chief Kanthaphong Phiphatmantrikul, representatives of the Rajamanu Task Force, local MPs and other relevant agencies. The petition is to be forwarded through the provincial administration to the government.

The residents outlined five key demands:

1. Financial assistance: Compensation for affected residents under the Finance Ministry’s regulations governing emergency relief funds for disaster victims.
2. Prevent further fighting from affecting villages: Relevant agencies should take measures to deter and prevent the warring parties operating opposite Mae Kon Ken from endangering local communities.
3. Long-term shelters: Authorities should identify safe areas and build shelters or bunkers across the four affected villages.
4. Early-warning systems: Install warning signals and establish reliable alerts to notify residents when fighting threatens their communities.
5. Protect Thai territory: Seek an end to fighting along the border or restrict the deployment of forces and combat operations to prevent the conflict from encroaching on Thai sovereign territory.

After receiving the petition, the Mae Sot district chief summarised the residents’ demands and said local security authorities would forward the document to the government for further action.

The gathering ended peacefully after residents expressed satisfaction with the process of submitting their demands. The government’s response to the requests was not immediately reported.