Army bolstering surveillance on Myanmar border
The Royal Thai Army operations centre has unveiled its response strategy for ongoing fighting in Myawaddy, Myanmar, about 2-3 kilometres from the Thai border and near the Second Friendship Bridge, opposite Wang Takhian Tai village, Mae Sot district, Tak province, which is affecting the checkpoint and bridge operations.
The army’s primary mission, through the Thai-Myanmar Border Command Centre in Tak province, is to ensure humanitarian care for Myanmar refugees fleeing unrest and seeking temporary safety in the secure areas of Tak.
For civilians, refugees, and injured fleeing the unrest in Myanmar, currently there are five temporary safe areas set up in Mae Sot district.
For those injured, regardless of their nationality, if they are brought for medical treatment on the Thai side, Thailand must provide medical care following the principles of human rights as usual. This may result in significant financial losses for Thailand and an added burden on Thai medical personnel. However, additional support has been prepared to accommodate this situation.
In the event of Myanmar soldiers entering Thai territory, the first step is to disarm them. Subsequently, they will undergo inspection and screening following international standards and the guidelines set by the Thai army.
Afterward, they will be taken to prepared reception areas where basic humanitarian assistance will be provided. Once the situation stabilises, voluntary repatriation of the soldiers will be arranged.
As for the prepared reception areas, there are two designated locations.
In the event of an incursion into Thai territory, such as with combat aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, or artillery bombardment, or if shells or bullets fall into Thai territory, the standard procedure is to deploy forces along the entire front line opposite the combat area. These forces can signal or threaten to counter or prevent such operations, ranging from light to heavy measures. For instance, smoke shells may be fired to provide a warning.
For now, only small-calibre bullets have fallen into Thai territory, resulting in minimal damage to Thai citizens' property without any injuries or fatalities. Thai authorities will implement appropriate measures to compensate for the incurred damage.
Additional troops and equipment have been deployed along the border according to the contingency plan of the Border Defence Forces, in line with their operational strategy to respond to the ongoing fighting in Myanmar.
