Thai Rangers Kill Two Drug Smugglers, Seize 300,000 Pills

At 12:30 PM on October 26, 2026, Lieutenant General Satit Waiyanon, Commander of the Pha Muang Force, assigned Lieutenant Colonel Suporn Roiphu, Commander of the Chao Tak Special Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel Jakraphong Sotsi, Commander of the 31st Ranger Special Task Force, along with Mae Fah Luang Police, Mae Fah Luang District officials, and other relevant agencies to jointly inspect the clash site between the 3107th Ranger Company and a group of drug traffickers.

The confrontation occurred around 6:20 PM on October 25, 2026, when the 3107th Ranger Company, 31st Ranger Regiment, Pha Muang Force, conducted a patrol to intercept illegal activity under the Narcotics Control Act B.E. 2564 in Ban San Makhet, Village 23, Mae Salong Nai Subdistrict, Mae Fah Luang District, Chiang Rai Province. They spotted a suspicious group of approximately 2–5 individuals walking along a trail in the mountainous terrain, carrying modified backpacks.

Officials identified themselves and requested a search, but the group opened fire with unknown firearms, leading to a five-minute gunfight. All officers remained unharmed. After the exchange, two additional operational teams were deployed to secure the area and monitor the situation closely as darkness fell.

At dawn, officers re-examined the clash site and discovered two deceased suspects along with two modified backpacks containing approximately 300,000 methamphetamine pills. The evidence was seized and handed over to Mae Fah Luang Police investigators for further legal proceedings.

Following the incident, Lieutenant General Satit Waiyanon ordered responsible units to maintain strict surveillance and enforce rigorous prevention of illegal cross-border activities in their area of responsibility to prevent contraband from entering the country.