Nattaphong visits Mae Ai as drug arrests surpass 2025 levels

Khaosod•Politics•5d ago

Reader Briefing

Nattaphong Ruengpanyawut visited Mae Ai District to inspect drug interception efforts and discuss the rising trend of Yaba arrests.

•Nattaphong Ruengpanyawut and his team visited Mae Ai District, Chiang Mai Province, on August 21, 2026.
•Colonel Maitree Srisanthia reported that Yaba arrests this year have already exceeded the totals for the year 68.
•Pha Muang Forces seized 300 kilograms of Ice during a clash with drug traffickers.

Overview

•On August 21, 2026, Nattaphong Ruengpanyawut visited Mae Ai District, Chiang Mai Province, to inspect the work of frontline officers.
•Nattaphong Ruengpanyawut and his team visited drug checkpoints and the Ban Pa Kui village in Tha Ton Subdistrict to observe border situations.
•Colonel Kitti Najai explained a three-tier drug interception strategy involving intelligence, border patrols, and joint operations within border districts.
•Colonel Kitti Najai noted that traffickers use natural channels, including the Sai and Ruak rivers, to smuggle drugs from neighboring countries.
•Colonel Maitree Srisanthia stated that Yaba arrest statistics for the current year have already surpassed the totals from the year 68.
•Colonel Maitree Srisanthia detailed a clash with drug traffickers resulting in the seizure of 300 kilograms of Ice, which were sent to Mae Ai Police Station.
•Colonel Maitree Srisanthia reported a shift in smuggling routes, with traffickers moving drugs toward western provinces like Mae Hong Son, Tak, and Kanchanaburi, or through Laos.
•Colonel Maitree Srisanthia confirmed that the Seal Stop Safe operation involves border patrols to prevent drug trafficking and foreign armed incursions.

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Key Entities

Person

Nattaphong Ruengpanyawut(ณัฐพงษ์ เรืองปัญญาวุฒิ)

List MP, leader of the People's Party and leader of the opposition in the House of Representatives.

Kitti Najai(กิตติ นาใจ)

Colonel and Commander of the Ranger Control Division, Army Region 3 Operation Center.

Maitree Srisanthia(ไมตรี ศรีสันเทียะ)

Colonel and Chief of Staff of the Pha Muang Forces.

Organization

People's Party(พรรคประชาชน)

The political party led by Nattaphong Ruengpanyawut.

Pha Muang Forces(กองกำลังผาเมือง)

A military force responsible for border security and drug interception in the region.

Mae Ai Police Station(สภ.แม่อาย)

The law enforcement agency where seized narcotics were delivered for legal proceedings.

Place

Mae Ai(แม่อาย)

A district in Chiang Mai Province located on the Thai-Myanmar border.

Chiang Mai(เชียงใหม่)ℹ️

A province used as a primary area for drug trafficking groups.

Ban Pa Kui Village(หมู่บ้านป่ากุ๋ย)

A village in Tha Ton Subdistrict, Mae Ai District, used by Nattaphong Ruengpanyawut to observe the border situation.

Tha Ton(ท่าตอน)ℹ️

A subdistrict in Mae Ai District.

Myanmar(เมียนมา)ℹ️

A neighboring country sharing a border with Thailand where drugs are smuggled from.

Lao PDR(สปป.ลาว)ℹ️

A neighboring country used as a transit route for drug trafficking.

Chiang Rai(เชียงราย)ℹ️

A border province used as a primary area for drug trafficking groups.

Mae Hong Son(แม่ฮ่องสอน)ℹ️

A western province that has become a new route for drug trafficking.

Tak(ตาก)

A western province that has become a new route for drug trafficking.

Kanchanaburi(กาญจนบุรี)ℹ️

A province that has become a new route for drug trafficking.

Policy

Seal Stop Safe

An operation focused on border sealing and patrols to intercept drugs and illegal incursions.