Residents of Myawaddy crowded fuel stations to refuel amid a severe fuel shortage crisis. Meanwhile, many Myanmar nationals drove across to refill on the Thai side in Mae Sot district, resulting in traffic congestion at the border checkpoint stretching about one kilometer.
At 09:00 on 9 March 2026, reporters reported that due to the global fuel crisis and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, Myanmar residents in border areas—especially in Myawaddy, Karen State—are severely affected by a significant fuel shortage. Some fuel stations in Mae Sot district have stopped selling fuel to Myanmar nationals to reserve supplies exclusively for Thai citizens.
This has caused many fuel stations in Myawaddy to cease operations due to running out of fuel. At stations still having fuel, many people queued with motorcycles for long lines to refuel, filling the station area and its surroundings. Station owners had to use loudspeakers to organize the crowd and implement measures such as limiting fuel quantities to serve everyone fairly.
Reporters noted that many Myanmar car owners had to drive out of Myawaddy town to refuel in Mae Sot district. However, they had to wait for immigration procedures at Myawaddy checkpoint, causing long lines of cars to form in front of the Myawaddy-Mae Sot border checkpoint before crossing the First Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge.
Fuel prices in Myawaddy were already very high due to a longstanding shortage caused by Thailand's "three cuts" policy aimed at disrupting scammer call center operations. However, this policy has heavily impacted most Myanmar residents. Now, the situation is worsened by sharply rising fuel prices, compounding their difficulties.