Ethnic Karen Flee Myanmar Conflict as Violence Spills Toward Thai Border

Around 200 ethnic Karen people have fled from Myanmar into neighboring Thailand amid renewed fighting and instability in the eastern Karen State. Thai border officials confirmed the movement of people over Friday and Saturday, attributing the exodus to intensified bombing and unrest near the Myanmar-Thai border.

Karen State, which lies along Myanmar’s eastern frontier with Thailand, has seen a surge in violence as ethnic militias continue to resist the country’s military junta. The junta came to power following a coup in 2021, and since then, various ethnic groups and pro-democracy forces have been engaged in armed conflict with military forces across the country.

Major General Maitree Chupreecha, commander of Thailand’s Naresuan Force, said the recent group of Karen civilians crossed the Moei River into Thailand’s Tak province after being frightened by a drone bombing operation targeting junta troops near their villages. He noted that the movement began Friday afternoon, and more people may follow if violence continues.

The Thai military's Ratchamanu Task Force has provided temporary shelter for the displaced people. Authorities are monitoring the situation closely, with plans to send the refugees back when the situation on the other side of the border becomes safe again.

This is not the first time such displacement has occurred. Since the 2021 coup, thousands of people from Myanmar—many from ethnic minority groups—have crossed into Thailand, seeking refuge from airstrikes, armed clashes, and political unrest.

A brief ceasefire was declared by both the junta and opposition groups in late March after a powerful earthquake devastated parts of central Myanmar, killing over 3,700 people. However, that ceasefire has not prevented renewed conflict in Karen State, especially along the highway that connects Myanmar to Thailand’s Mae Sot town.

The situation remains tense, with Thai officials bracing for the possibility of more border crossings if the fighting escalates further.