Villagers along the border in Tak province are alarmed as heavy machine gun bullets from fighting in Myanmar have fallen onto their homes, causing damage and forcing them to take shelter under their houses for safety.
At 1:00 p.m. on 23 June 2026, reporters learned that machine gun bullets from the conflict between Myanmar’s 22nd Light Infantry Division and the Karen National Liberation Army near Min La Pan village, Myawaddy Township, Kayin State, Myanmar, across from Maha Wan Subdistrict, Mae Sot District, Tak Province, had landed on residents’ homes in Ban Huai Mahawong, Village No. 9, Maha Wan Subdistrict, Mae Sot District, Tak. The affected house is about 800 meters from the Moei River border between Thailand and Myanmar.
Reporters visited the home of Mr. Surasak Kawin, 62, in Ban Huai Mahawong, Maha Wan Subdistrict, Mae Sot District, Tak. He showed them the spot where a heavy 93 mm machine gun bullet fell through the roof onto the floor of his daughter’s nearby house.
Mr. Surasak said the situation is tense; they have to stay inside or sometimes under the house for safety. His house has been hit several times, mostly by machine gun bullets. Yesterday alone, about ten rounds fell. This morning, several rounds landed but the bullet heads were not visible. He follows news from both Myanmar and Thailand. He knows that troops from an unknown side have deployed forces on the Myanmar side. Behind his house is a Myanmar children’s learning center that was also hit by bullets this morning, but fortunately no children were harmed. The center has temporarily closed since it is so close to the border.
Additionally, at Ban Mae Kon Ken School, the village headman, local leaders, border patrol police, and the school director held a meeting to assess the situation and assign responsibilities to teachers in case unrest from the neighboring country’s conflict affects the area.