Refugees & the Moei River: Life on the Thailand-Myanmar Border

Conflict in Myanmar has entered its fifth year, resulting in significant casualties and sustained displacement along the country’s borders. According to reporting from March 2026, the civil war has left about 93,000 people dead. Along the border with Thailand, life continues amidst the ongoing violence, with communities on both sides of the Moei River adapting to the protracted instability.

Border Dynamics Between Thailand and Myanmar

The border region remains a critical focal point for humanitarian activity, and displacement. Mae Sot, located in Tak province, sits directly across the Moei River from the Myanmar town of Myawaddy. This area has become a crucial hub for welcoming refugees, serving as a strategic point for the Thai government to provide humanitarian aid. Razor wire separates Myanmar from Thailand at Mae Sot along the river, marking the physical divide between the two nations.

Reporting from the region has documented the proximity of the conflict to civilian populations. In Kayin state, fighting between Burmese junta troops and rebels has raged nearby. During periods of intensified conflict, armed ethnic rebel groups have seized territory while junta forces have intensified efforts to reclaim lost towns. The sounds of gunfire and explosions have been reported drifting across the river, audible to locals on the Mae Sot side.

Life Amidst Conflict

Despite the violence, residents in the border districts maintain daily routines. Documentation from April 2024 highlighted that life in the Thai border district of Mae Sot went on with a semblance of normalcy even as battles raged in Myanmar. Temperatures in the region have been recorded soaring to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), yet locals on the Mae Sot side were not deterred in going about their daily routines.

Local residents have expressed resilience in the face of the neighboring conflict. Mali, a service worker in Mae Sot who asked that her surname be withheld, provided insight into the community’s perspective during previous escalations.

They are fighting on that side, life here goes on as usual. People still visit, maybe a bit less on weekdays, but weekends are busier. We keep up with the news, but we aren’t scared.

Mali, service worker in Mae Sot

Refugee Movements and Aid

Displacement patterns fluctuate based on the intensity of the fighting. Tak provincial Gov. Somchai Kitcharoenrungroj told reporters that while the conflict in Myanmar continues, its intensity had decreased since a weekend in April 2024. This decrease allowed over 3,000 Myanmar nationals who had fled to temporary shelters in Tak to begin returning home. Officials expected the remaining refugees to leave by the Thursday following that announcement.

On the Myanmar side of the river, conditions remain difficult. In Myawaddy, residents have moved into refugee camps where they wait for humanitarian aid while trying to go about their lives as normally as possible. Visual documentation from April 2024 showed a woman living at a temporary refugee camp in Myawaddy bathing in the Moei River separating the Myanmar town from Mae Sot in Thailand. Teenagers at a temporary refugee camp in Myawaddy were also recorded celebrating the Songkran Festival on April 17, 2024.

Education and Support Initiatives

Amidst the displacement, efforts to maintain education continue. Organizations such as Children of the Mekong have worked to support rural and isolated populations in the region. As part of their mission, a centre for schoolchildren was built to provide early childhood education. Di Thoo, a robust 45-year-old, was reported traveling up the Moei River to his school in Myanmar, which he sets up in 2018. These initiatives aim to support refugees in Thailand and children within Myanmar despite the clandestine nature of life at the border.

Ongoing Humanitarian Concerns

The situation along the Moei River underscores the long-term impact of the civil war on civilian infrastructure and safety. With the conflict persisting into 2026, the border remains a vital lifeline for those seeking safety and aid. The separation by razor wire and the river itself defines the physical reality for those living in Mae Sot and Myawaddy. As the war continues, the reliance on cross-border humanitarian hubs remains a constant feature of life in Tak province and Kayin state.