Myanmar military claims recapture of Thai border town

Key points

• Myanmar’s military claimed on Wednesday (May 20, 2026) to have recaptured a town on the Thai border, expanding the frontier trade crossings it claims to control in the grinding civil war.
• The southern Myanmar border town of Mawtaung is a relatively minor trading post, transiting $26.7 million of freight in the 2023-24 financial year, according to Myanmar official statistics.
• But its capture would represent another boost for the military, adding to a string of recent victories against ethnic minority armies and pro-democracy guerrillas it has warred with since staging a 2021 coup.
• Myanmar state media said the military lost control of Mawtaung in Tanintharyi region in November, but retook it on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) after a two-week counter-offensive.
• The battle included more than 200 “major and minor clashes”, killing at least 24 opposition fighters, according to The Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.