Thai authorities have intensified vehicle and labor enforcement at the Mae Sai border crossing, cracking down on unauthorized parking and undocumented workers. The stricter measures have disrupted Myanmar taxi drivers, cross-border commuters, and emergency ambulance services.

On July 20, a joint operation involving Mae Sai Police, immigration officials, and labor authorities resulted in the arrest of 50 Myanmar nationals working without permits. Each was fined 5,000 Thai baht and charged under Thailand’s labor laws.

According to Mae Sai Police, the operation was launched in response to repeated complaints from local residents and business owners. Shop owners along the town’s main market road had petitioned authorities, saying Myanmar three-wheeled taxis routinely parked for extended periods while waiting for passengers, obstructing access and reducing parking availability for customers visiting gold shops, clothing stores, and local markets.

Police said the enforcement campaign is intended to address public nuisance complaints and illegal passenger transport, adding that fines are being imposed for both traffic violations and breaches of the Foreign Workers Employment Act.

While the measures target unauthorized passenger transport and illegal employment, they have also affected humanitarian operations.

Representatives of the Tachileik Social Rescue Association told SHAN that cross-border ambulance services are now facing stricter documentation requirements.

Previously, ambulances transporting patients from Myanmar were allowed to travel directly to hospitals in Mae Sai. Under the new regulations, ambulances must carry complete vehicle registration documents, a valid driver’s license, and official hospital referral documents before being permitted to cross.

“If we don’t have complete documentation, we cannot travel at all,” a member of the Tachileik Social Rescue Association told SHAN. “We only have one vehicle with all the required documents, so we’re trying to manage with just that one. In the past, vehicles without complete paperwork could cross, but now it is strictly prohibited.”

Under the new regulations, Myanmar-registered vehicles are prohibited from parking along public roads and must use designated parking areas. Violators face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 Thai baht. Authorities have also barred Myanmar nationals from driving Thai-registered cargo trucks across the border.

In response, officials in Tachileik, led by Township Administration Body Chairman U Tint Wai Thone, convened an emergency coordination meeting on July 21 to discuss measures to reduce the impact on Myanmar citizens.

During the meeting, officials emphasized the need to educate cross-border travelers about complying with Thai laws and regulations. They also agreed to pursue informal bilateral discussions with Thai counterparts to help prevent similar enforcement actions from causing further hardship for Myanmar nationals.

Authorities have advised Myanmar drivers entering Mae Sai to carry all required legal documents, comply with parking regulations, and refrain from advertising transport services on social media. Meanwhile, some local observers in Tachileik have called on Myanmar authorities to take similar action against undocumented foreign workers and unlicensed businesses operating on the Myanmar side of the border.

Although cross-border trade and travel through the Tachileik–Mae Sai crossing remain open, the tighter enforcement has left local drivers and humanitarian organizations on heightened alert.