MAE SOT – The Naresuan Force has outlined four measures to address bullets and artillery shells crossing into Thailand amid fighting along the Thai-Myanmar border, pledging to protect Thai sovereignty and safeguard border communities.
The Rajamanu Task Force, under the Naresuan Force, said on Monday that the measures cover military and border defence, diplomatic coordination, civilian protection and compensation, and humanitarian assistance for people fleeing the fighting.
Under military measures, Thai forces will follow their rules of engagement. If bullets fired from Myanmar land in Thai territory, they will fire warning smoke rounds towards the suspected firing position or the direction from which the shots originated.
If Thai authorities find evidence of intentional fire into Thailand or damage to Thai lives and property, the military may take proportionate countermeasures to pressure the firing side to stop, the task force said.
The Naresuan Force will also reinforce troop deployments, increase checkpoints and conduct land and water patrols along the Moei River. Drones and aircraft will be used to monitor the situation closely.
On diplomacy, Thai authorities will use Township Border Committee and Regional Border Committee mechanisms to contact Myanmar’s military immediately after an incident, warn against firing towards Thailand and demand that such attacks stop.
The Foreign Ministry and military will also use diplomatic channels to submit formal protests and call on Myanmar’s government to take responsibility for any damage. Thai authorities will continue assessing the conflict between ethnic armed groups and Myanmar’s authorities to prepare for possible spillover effects.
For civilian protection, authorities will prepare and rehearse evacuation plans to move residents to temporary shelters in safe areas if fighting intensifies. They will also build or improve bunkers in communities, schools and homes near high-risk areas along the river.
The task force said mechanisms would be established to provide urgent compensation to Thai residents affected by cross-border fire, including damage to homes, property and agricultural crops.
The fourth measure concerns people fleeing the fighting in Myanmar. Thai authorities will provide designated safe areas for those crossing into Thailand on humanitarian grounds, while restricting movement to specified locations and screening for illegal items and weapons.
When fighting ends and the situation stabilises, authorities will coordinate the voluntary return of displaced people to Myanmar, the task force said.
The four measures aim to reduce the impact of fighting spilling across the border, protect Thailand’s sovereignty and improve safety for communities along the Thai-Myanmar frontier.
