MAE SOT, THAILAND – Five mortar rounds fired from Myanmar landed in Thai territory near Mae Sot, prompting a swift counterstrike by the Thai army and heightening tensions along the border.
Border incident rattled Mae Sot district
The Task Force Rajamanur of the Naresuan Force reported that five 60-mm mortar shells crossed the frontier and exploded on Thai soil in Mae Sot district on Monday morning. The rounds came from ongoing clashes inside Myanmar between government forces and ethnic minority armed groups. Thai military units on the ground immediately requested authorization to respond.
Thai army answered with smoke grenades
Commander of the 3rd Army Region, Lt Gen Worathep Boonya, acted after consulting the commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army. Once approval was granted, the task force fired four 120-mm smoke shells back toward the conflict area on the Myanmar side.
“The general situation is now back to normal,”
said Lt Gen Worathep, signaling that, despite calm on the ground, tensions remained high.
Civilian home damaged, two people hurt
Shrapnel from the incoming Myanmar mortars caused significant damage to a civilian residence on the Thai side of the border. Two Myanmar civilians, a woman and a child, were injured in the blast from the cross-border fire. Both were given immediate medical treatment and were reported to be in stable condition after the incident.
Heightened alert and tougher border security
Lt Gen Worathep issued strict orders to Task Force Rajamanur to intensify border surveillance and place the protection of Thai citizens at the highest priority. The border area remained on high alert as the army signaled that any further cross-border violations would draw an immediate and firm response. Military leaders framed the measures as a clear statement that Thailand’s security was non-negotiable.
Fears of a wider spillover from Myanmar conflict
The mortar strike was described as a dangerous escalation in a long-simmering border conflict that has periodically spilled into Thailand. As fighting in Myanmar continued, Thai authorities found themselves increasingly drawn into managing the fallout along the frontier. For residents of the border region, living effectively between two fronts, hopes now rested on steps to de-escalate before the situation worsened further.