Thai soldiers seized 3.1 million meth pills following overnight clashes in northern Thailand.

Troops intercepted the illegal haul in two separate encounters with suspected traffickers in Chiang Rai province, near the border with Myanmar, on December 2.

The first clash occurred when soldiers from the Thap Chao Tak unit stopped a white Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck at a checkpoint - only for the driver to open fire.

As officers took cover, the driver was said to have abandoned the vehicle to flee into the dense forest, leaving behind 14 sacks containing roughly 2.8 million meth pills.

Later that evening, rangers patrolling a natural trail spotted a group of four to five suspicious individuals carrying luggage.

When officers tried to conduct a search, the group allegedly shot at them, sparking a five-minute gunfight before the suspects escaped. The following morning, soldiers discovered two more sacks containing 150,000 methamphetamine pills each.

Major General Sathit Waiyanon, commander of the Pha Muang Task Force, said: 'These incidents are a clear sign that the drug smuggling network is still attempting to enter Thailand. I have ordered all units in border areas to intensify patrols and carry out interception measures in accordance with the army's policy to protect national security and civilian safety.'

Thailand has become a notorious hub for drug production and trafficking. In the north of the country, the ‘Golden Triangle' area shares borders with Laos and Myanmar, and has produced large amounts of opium since the 1950s but the focus in recent years has shifted to the more profitable methamphetamine.

Officials believe most of the meth is produced in the Shan State of Myanmar before being distributed through neighbouring countries, where prices are higher before ending up in the most expensive markets of Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore.

However, cracking down on drug production has been complicated by the influx of crime gangs from China and the Burmese civil war, which has seen the army take over the country, along with control of lucrative drugs chains.