Urgent Order! Tightened Border Control Nationwide to Curb Drugs, Illegal Goods, and Unauthorized Immigration - Thairath English

The Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration issued an urgent order to tighten border control nationwide by integrating provincial administration, police, and military forces to intercept drugs, illegal goods, and unauthorized immigration, closing loopholes exploited by criminal networks along the borders.

On 6 November 2026, Mr. Narucha Kosasivilai, Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, revealed that the department issued an urgent letter No. มท 0310.4/ว 37077 dated 5 November 2026, instructing provincial permanent secretaries in all border areas to enhance security measures for the border districts in the fiscal year 2027. The focus is on monitoring, preventing, and combating smuggling of drugs, illegal goods, unauthorized immigration, and other legal violations along the borders intensively to prevent and intercept transnational criminal activities and maintain peace, order, and public safety in the area.

The Director-General said this operation focuses on integrating manpower and intelligence among provincial administration, police, military, local administrative organizations, and relevant security agencies. District chiefs in border areas are designated as key coordinators to synchronize and drive proactive measures, including monitoring high-risk areas, establishing checkpoints and roadblocks, developing village- and community-level intelligence systems, and preparing for situations that might affect security and public safety. Five main measures have been outlined as follows.

1. Enhance border area lockdown and interception measures (Seal Border) by integrating forces from provincial administration, police, military, local administrative organizations, and relevant security agencies. Establish checkpoints and roadblocks in key locations, especially villages and communities along the border, to prevent and intercept smuggling of drugs, illegal goods, unauthorized immigration, and other illegal acts. Operations are to begin Monday, 9 November 2026.

2. Improve intelligence efficiency and proactive area surveillance by integrating provincial administration mechanisms and related agencies. Promote public participation in reporting information and tips about drugs and illegal acts along the border. Facilitate close coordination and information exchange to detect unusual activities promptly, allowing for thorough investigation and strict law enforcement against offenders.

3. Accelerate enhancement of efficiency and preparedness of local provincial administration personnel, including deputy district chiefs, village headmen, community leaders, members of the Territorial Defense Volunteers (Or Sor), and Village Security Teams (Chor Ror Bor). Promote knowledge in security matters, threat surveillance, and cooperation with security agencies, along with developing manpower, expertise, and necessary skills to effectively prevent and solve security problems promptly.

4. Develop contingency plans and prepare for situations that could impact peace and public safety in border areas. Clearly assign responsible persons, coordination channels, and support guidelines for joint operations with relevant agencies. Establish a database of all border crossing points, including permanent crossings, relaxation points, temporary crossings, and natural routes. Also, inspect transportation routes linked to border areas, especially those that might be used for smuggling drugs, illegal goods, unauthorized immigration, and other legal violations along the border.

5. Emphasize continuous monitoring and reporting of operational results. District chiefs in border areas must report on the implementation of these measures through the Department of Provincial Administration’s DOPA One Data system every Wednesday, starting on 11 November 2026. This will enable the department to monitor situations, evaluate operations, and support targeted problem-solving quickly and effectively.

The Director-General added that maintaining security along the borders requires cooperation from all sectors, especially provincial administrative mechanisms at district, sub-district, and village levels, which are closest to the people and understand local conditions. Therefore, all district chiefs in border areas have been urged to prioritize proactive work, closely integrate cooperation with security agencies, and use village headmen, community leaders, Territorial Defense Volunteers, and Village Security Teams as surveillance networks to report illegal activities. This will ensure effective prevention and suppression, enhancing public confidence in safety.