CHIANG RAI– On February 11, 2026, reporters said the Pha Muang Task Force, led by Ranger Company 3109 under Ranger Task Force 31, seized approximately 800,000 meth pills after a tip-off about a drug smuggling run entering its area.
Senior Officers sent one operations team to set up a checkpoint on the Ban That to Ban Abae route in Mae Salong Nok Subdistrict, Mae Fah Luang District, Chiang Rai. At about 5:00 a.m. the same day, the team spotted two suspicious motorcycles coming into the area.
When the riders saw the officers, they abandoned the bikes and used the darkness to escape.
A search found two Honda Wave motorcycles, one red-black and one blue-black, both without license plates. Each bike carried two woven sacks, four sacks in total. Inside were Category 1 narcotics (methamphetamine tablets). Each sack held about 200,000 pills, for a total of around 800,000 pills seized.
After the seizure, the unit added two more operations teams to secure the area, track down the suspects, and expand the investigation. The evidence was handed over to investigators for legal action.
The Pha Muang Task Force Drug Seizures
The Pha Muang Task Force ( กองกำลังผาเมือง ) is a Royal Thai Army unit that works along Thailand’s northern border. Its main jobs are border security and drug suppression.
In Chiang Rai province, the unit has reported several major drug seizures in 2026, with many cases centered in border districts such as Mae Sai and Mae Fa Luang. Most operations focus on smuggling routes coming from Myanmar, with seizures often involving methamphetamine pills (ya ba) and, at times, crystal methamphetamine (ice).
- Late January 2026 (around January 30): In Mae Sai district, Pha Muang troops exchanged gunfire with smugglers near Ban Huai Nam Rin. Officers seized more than 6 million methamphetamine pills. The pills were packed in 30 altered straw sacks, with about 200,000 pills per sack. Patrol teams from the 3rd Cavalry Company, Special Task Force Thap Jaotak, took part in the operation.
- February 9, 2026: Around 1:00 AM in Mae Sai, forces stopped a smuggling run and seized about 4.72 million methamphetamine pills (4,720,000). The interception followed patrol activity and checkpoint work in border areas, including zones near Ban Huai Nam Rin and similar routes.
- February 9, 2026 (additional seizure): Also in Mae Sai, troops found two suitcases hidden in grass near Ban Huai Daeng Tai (coordinates NC 934610). Inside were about 620,000 methamphetamine pills. The suspects ran off and left the bags behind.
- February 11, 2026: In Mae Fa Luang district near Doi Mae Salong, Pha Muang’s Task Force 31 (Ranger Company 3109) seized 900,000 methamphetamine pills. Reports say suspects riding two unregistered motorcycles dumped the drugs and fled into the night. The incident happened along routes linking Ban That and Ban A Bae in Mae Salong Nok subdistrict.
Reports also point to heavy overall activity. One figure shared in coverage says the task force seized 151 million methamphetamine pills during the fiscal year leading into early 2026, which reflects a sharp jump from earlier periods, and includes wider operations beyond these cases.
Across these operations, a familiar pattern shows up: armed encounters, chases, and suspects escaping through border terrain or crossing points, with drugs hidden in sacks, suitcases, or vehicles.
