Hundreds of Burmese refugees sheltering in Thailand have returned home as junta soldiers continue to clash with resistance forces in Myanmar.

Some 658 refugees staying in Tak province went back to the neighbouring town of Myawaddy on April 24.

Soldiers and local authorities assisted them as they crossed the Moei River. Local Buddhist monks also gave blessings and donations, including food, water, and medicine, to prepare them for the journey.

The villagers had fled to Thailand when resistance forces seized the Pha Song camp in the town, with Burmese soldiers responding through air strikes.

Anti-junta forces composed of civilians and local militias claimed they have seized the town, but reports on Tuesday, April 23, said they have withdrawn after the junta launched a counteroffensive to retake the base.

Myawaddy has long been held by the junta and serves as a vital trade corridor between Myanmar and Thailand.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had told Reuters that the country would continue to remain neutral on the conflict - despite developed countries imposing sanctions - and instead appeared to prioritise a deal that would benefit Thailand economically.

Myanmar has fallen into civil war following the removal of democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, with a military coup in 2021.

Soldiers responded with barbaric force on protesting civilians leading to widespread condemnation and financial sanctions. Rebel groups and civilian militias around the country have since been locked in a series of ongoing clashes with the ruling military.

Aung San Suu Kyi has since been jailed for 33 years on politically motivated charges and is likely to die behind bars unless the army is toppled - a tragic end the politician hailed by Barack Obama as an 'inspirational icon of democracy'.