South Watch

Two suspected insurgents shot dead, one officer injured in clash in Pattani

Two suspected southern rebels were killed and one officer was injured in a clash in Sai Buri district of the southern province of Pattani today. Acting on a tipoff, about…

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Suspected insurgents attack coffee shop in Pattani with pipe bombs

Two police officers and the mayor of a tambon administrative organisation (TAO) narrowly escaped injury when two improvised explosive devices, believed to have been pipe bombs, were thrown into a…

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Volunteer killed, four injured in roadside explosion in Narathiwat

A defence volunteer was killed and four others were injured in a roadside explosion in Janae district of Thailand’s southernmost province of Narathiwat today. The incident occurred just a few…

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Both Thai chief peace negotiator Chatchai Bangchuad (L) and Malaysian talks facilitator Gen Zulkifli Zainal Abidin (R) are hopeful of progress in the peace dialogue.

 Southern peace talks to resume in early February

The stalled peace talks designed to end more than two decades of violence in southern Thailand will resume in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,  early next month, according to acting Secretary General…

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Two police officers injured in in Yala attack Wednesday

Two border patrol police officers were shot and seriously injured when gunmen, believed to be insurgents, opened fire as they stopped to buy provisions from a grocery in the Banang…

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Ending violence in the trouble-plagued south of Thailand was one of the topics discussed during the recent meeting between Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.

Civil participation in southern peace talks urged

Political analysts and members of civil society in southern Thailand have called for greater participation by academics and representatives of local communities in the peace process in the trouble-plagued region….

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Thai PM appoints new head of southern peace talks team

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has appointed Chatchai Bangchuad, deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council, to head the government’s team in peace talks with the main insurgent group in Thailand’s…

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Cabinet approval sought to extend state of emergency in Thailand’s south

The Emergency Situation Public Administration Committee will seek approval from the Cabinet to extend the state of emergency in three restive southern provinces, from October 20th through to January 19th…

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Emergency decree in restive south extended for one month

The Cabinet has extended the emergency decree in force in most parts of Thailand’s Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces for only one month, until October 18. Throughout the almost two…

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Bomb defused near Yala’s Mueang district police station

An improvised explosive device (IED), allegedly planted by insurgents near Yala’s Mueang district police station, was safely defused on Sunday by a team of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) officers. A…

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Car bomb explosion in Su-ngai Kolok, no injuries

Suspected insurgents detonated a car bomb at a road junction in Su-ngai Kolok, Narathiwat province late Saturday night, but no one was injured. CCTV footage shows a car being driven…

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Ranger killed, two injured in explosion in Yala province

One para-military ranger was killed and two others were injured in a roadside bomb blast, believed to have been remotely detonated by insurgents, in Ba Cho sub-district of Bannang Sata…

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Civilian-led solution needed for permanent peace in the deep South

In the final of the three-part series, our Political Desk sheds some light on the plans of the eight-party coalition to push for institutional reform to bring permanent peace in…

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Uphill task to demilitarize and decentralize Thailand’s deep South for lasting peace 

How will the coalition partners reconcile their differences in approach towards resolving the long-running conflict in the predominantly Muslim deep South? In the second of a three-part series, our Political Desk…

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Thai military personnel guards convenience stores damaged after an attack, in Cho-airong district in southern Thailand’s Narathiwat province, on August 17, 2022. (Photo by Madaree Tohlala / AFP)

Furore over mock referendum could derail deep South peace moves

The first of a three-part series by Thai PBS World’s Political Desk analyses the latest disputes among political forces over the right to self-determination and the peace process in Thailand’s…

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Security officials probe students’ call for referendum on Southern Thailand

Security agencies are probing the activities of a group of students who are calling for a referendum on self-determination for the three southernmost provinces of Thailand, a senior army official…

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Monks injured in explosion in Narathiwat province

Three monks and two defence volunteers were slightly injured this morning (Friday) when a roadside improvised explosive device was detonated by southern insurgents as the monks were receiving alms from…

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A closer look at the coalition’s ‘Fair’ peace plan for insurgency-hit Deep South

A little-known political party named Fair – or “Pen Tham” in Thai – has drawn the media spotlight after being included in the eight-party coalition formed by election winner Move…

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Pita’s ally questions Malaysia’s role in Southern peace talks

Thailand should allow other ASEAN countries, especially Indonesia, to help in its efforts to end violence in southern Thailand, while reconsidering Malaysia’s current role as the peace dialogue facilitator, according…

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A bomb attack kills ranger in Yala and suspected insurgents torch 20 cell phone towers in Pattani

Violence continued in the southernmost provinces on Friday, after a bomb killed a ranger and seriously injured three others. The attack took place in Ban Ngokapo village in the Bannang…

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Image Courtesy: Isra News

8 years in prison for ex-Yala governor over GT-200 bomb detector deal

Former governor of Yala province, Thira Minthrasak, has been sentenced to 8 years in prison without suspension, after being found guilty of malfeasance by the Criminal Court for Corruption and…

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Three police officers injured in insurgent attack in Narathiwat province

Three police officers were injured when an unknown number of southern insurgents attacked their outpost, in Su-ngai Padi district of Thailand’s restive southern province of Narathiwat, with automatic gunfire and…

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Insurgents attack a government outpost in Yala Province

Government security forces engaged in a fierce gun battle with insurgents at an outpost in Mueang district of Thailand’s restive southern province of Yala early this morning (Sunday). Arriving on…

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Five suspects arrested in connection with multiple murders in Narathiwat

Five suspects are in police custody for alleged involvement in the murder of four men. Three of the bodies were found in the trunk of a car, partially submerged in…

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Suspect arrested following fatal shooting of child in front of a Pattani mosque

Police have arrested a suspect and seized the handgun thought to have been used in the killing of a 14-year-old girl who was sitting outside a mosque in Pattani province…

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14-year-old girl killed in front of a mosque in Pattani

A 14-year-old girl was killed in front of a mosque in Mueang district of Thailand’s southern restive province of Pattani this morning (Friday) in a drive-by shooting. According to the…

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Malaysian peace dialogue facilitator Gen Zulkifli Zainal Abidin during his visit to Wat Chang Hai, the main Buddhist temple in Pattani.

Malaysian facilitator sees “light at the end of the tunnel” for Thailand’s South

The Malaysian facilitator for the southern peace dialogue has expressed confidence that there is a strong chance for peace in the trouble-plagued region, but cautioned that there cannot be a…

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Two bomb disposal team members die, one injured in Narathiwat

Two members of an army bomb disposal squad were killed and another injured by a southern insurgent IED attack on the convoy of the deputy commander of the Fourth Army…

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Four suspects in police custody over multiple murders in Narathiwat

Police in Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat are holding four suspects in custody for questioning in connection with the deaths of four men, three of whom were found in the…

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Malaysian facilitator Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, flanked by Thai chief negotiator Gen Wallop Raksanoh (left) and BRN representative Anas, during the press conference in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

BRN agrees to have other rebel groups join peace talks

More separatist groups will be invited to join the BRN in peace talks with the Thai government, the Malaysian facilitator of the peace process said on Wednesday. BenarNews quoted former…

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Malaysian facilitator Gen Zulkifli Zainal Abidin during the press conference with Gen Wallop Raksanoh (left), chief of Thai delegation, and Anas Abdulrahman of the BRN at end of their peace talks in Kuala Lumpur.

Southern peace dialogue offers “a light at the end of the tunnel”

The two-day peace dialogue, aimed at ending the conflict in southern Thailand, wrapped up this afternoon (Wednesday) on an upbeat note, with the Thai chief negotiator describing it as a…

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150 armour-plated trucks to be bought for troops in Thailand’s Deep South

The Thai cabinet approved a 396-million baht budget from the Central Fund today (Tuesday) to procure 150 armour-plated pickup trucks, to replace the aging vehicles currently deployed in the restive…

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The Thai delegation arrives for peace talks at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur Tuesday morning.

Southern peace negotiators end first day of talks

Peace negotiators, representing the Thai government and a separatist group, ended their first day of talks in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon (Tuesday). A Thai PBS news team reports that they…

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The Thai delegation arrives for peace talks at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur Tuesday morning.

Southern peace talks resume in Kuala Lumpur

The peace dialogue between representatives of the Thai government and a separatist group has resumed in Kuala Lumpur after more than a year. The session, being held at a hotel…

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Key suspected insurgent killed in shootout in Yala province

A suspected insurgent, wanted by Thai police for alleged involvement in several violent incidents in the restive Deep South, including a roadside bomb attack in Yala Province last Friday in…

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[FILE] Thai security forces are pictured through barbed wire as they take part in a joint police and army patrol along the Thailand-Malaysia border in Takbai district in the southern province of Narathiwat on November 15, 2020, as Thai authorities sought to prevent illegal entries. (Photo by Madaree TOHLALA / AFP)

Gen. Zulkifli’s first task for peace process

It seems like the right thing to do – a visit by Malaysia’s newly appointed facilitator for the peace process between the Thai Government and the rebel Barisan Revolusi Nasional…

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Police officer dies, four injured in insurgent attack in Yala Province

One police major was killed and four other officers were injured when the blast from a bomb, hidden under a road in Bannang Sata district of Thailand’s southern province of…

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Spokesman of ISOC’s regional forward unit Col Kiatisak Neewong insists that none of the soldiers visiting the Islamic school in Narathiwat was armed.

Security officials defend visit to Islamic school in South

Local security officials have come in defense of last weekend’s visit to an Islamic school, in the strife-torn southern Thai province of Narathiwat, by a group of soldiers accompanied by…

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Soldiers with a local senior Buddhist monk lecturing students at an Islamic elementary school in Narathiwat on issues of patriotism and history of Thai national flag last Sunday. (Picture from the Special Warfare Command’s Facebook)

Buddhist abbot’s visit to Islamic school sparks uproar

A recent visit to an Islamic education centre in Narathiwat by a local senior Buddhist monk, accompanied by a group of soldiers, has triggered uproar in the Muslim community in…

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Exclusive – A Conversation with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

The 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was on formal visit to Thailand. He discussed various issues, from the South of Thailand, economic cooperation between the two…

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Exclusive: Anwar calls for new ASEAN approaches to deal with Myanmar crisis

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called on ASEAN to explore new approaches to resolving the ongoing crisis in Myanmar which, he said, can no longer be treated as the…

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the Fourth Army Area commander, Lt. General Santi Sakuntanark

OPINION: Thai Army thinks it has a monopoly on Patani’s history

Irritated by the fact that local history in Thailand’s Malay-speaking South embraces a very different version from that of the Thai State, the Fourth Army Area commander, Lt. General Santi…

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Malaysia doesn’t condone violence in southern Thailand – PM Anwar

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim reiterated today (Thursday) that Malaysia is against the use of violence to resolve the conflicts in southern Thailand and pledged his government’s readiness…

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(FILE) In this photo taken on October 24, 2019, a Royal Thai Army soldier patrols the Tak Bai riverside market in Thailand’s restive southern province of Narathiwat across the Malaysian border.(Photo by Madaree TOHLALA / AFP)

Bumpy road ahead for new Malaysian facilitator in Southern Thai peace process

Newly appointed facilitator for the Patani peace talks, Gen. Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, will arrived in Thailand on February 1stfor a two-day visit to introduce himself to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit…

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Thailand’s peace process – All form, no substance

It may be that the Thai negotiators sitting across the table from the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) see them as easy pickings, but this low-hanging fruit – the Cessation of…

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Three insurgents killed in clash with Thai government forces in Narathiwat

Three southern insurgents were shot dead during a clash with government security forces, in the mountains of Si Sakhon district in the restive southern province of Narathiwat, on Friday morning….

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Freedom of expression: A prerequisite for resolving any conflict

Expressing one’s identity and historical-cultural narrative, regardless if it is different from the state-constructed one, should not be a crime in this day and age. But when you have a…

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Defence volunteer dies, two injured in ambush by insurgents in Narathiwat

One territorial defence volunteer was killed and two were injured in an ambush by southern insurgents in a village in the Si Sakhon district of Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat…

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Image Credit: 5th Infantry Regiment

Large quantity of fireworks seized near Thai-Malaysian border

Thai police, troops and local officials seized about 300 boxes containing firecrackers and fireworks today (Sunday), bound for Malaysia for Chinese New Year celebrations in the Sadao district of Songkhla…

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Important Juncture Thai BRN

Thailand’s negotiation with the rebel Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) has reached a critical juncture as both sides continue to struggle to identify a common ground on how to move the…

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Rail plate screws removed in attempt to sabotage train services in Hat Yai

Southern train services, from Hat Yai to Khlong Ngae station in Sadao district of Songkhla, were temporarily suspended after railway officials discovered that many plate screws and five rail sleeper…

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Two suspects in car bomb attack at Narathiwat police apartment arrested

Two men, suspected of involvement in the car bombing of a police apartment building in Thailand’s restive southern province of Narathiwat in November, have been arrested, national police chief Pol…

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Petrol pump at PTT service station in Yala torched

Suspected southern insurgents set fire to a petrol pump at a service station in Than To district of the southern province of Yala on Saturday night. There were no casualties….

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Four members of security forces injured in two explosions in Yala

Four members of the Thai security forces were wounded in two separate bomb attacks by southern insurgents in Bannang Sata district of the southern province of Yala last night. At…

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Seventeen ancient Buddhist temples in the Deep South to be renovated next year

The Thai Government has set aside 80 million baht for the renovation of seventeen 100-year-old Buddhist temples, in the restive Deep South, which have fallen into disrepair. Deputy Government Spokesperson…

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Public urged to report suspicious people or activities in Thailand’s Deep South

Members of the public in Thailand’s Deep South have been asked to be vigilant in looking out for suspicious strangers and materials, as part of intensified security, in anticipation of…

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SRT will compensate families of those killed by Tuesday’s bomb in Songkhla

The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) has announced the deaths of three of its employees in an explosion today (Tuesday), at the scene of Saturday’s train derailment, and has promised…

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3 missing in another blast at scene of Saturday’s train derailment in Songkhla

Three Thai railway officials are believed to have been killed and four others injured in an explosion this morning (Tuesday), about 200 metres from the scene of a blast on…

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Anwar’s view on conflict in southern Thailand

One question that has arisen almost right after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was appointed Malaysia’s prime minister last week is what role he wants Kuala Lumpur to play in helping…

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State of emergency Thailand’s southern provinces extended for three more months

The Emergency Situation Administration Committee has agreed to extend the state of emergency in the three southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, with the exception of some districts, from…

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Car-bomb vehicle not checked because it was not reported as stolen

The pickup truck, which was used as a car bomb in an attack on the police apartments in Mueang district of Narathiwat Province on Tuesday, was not checked when it…

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Police search for woman seen last month in Narathiwat in car bomb vehicle

Thai police have been trying to locate a woman who was seen driving the pickup truck used as a car bomb yesterday (Tuesday), which passed through a police checkpoint in…

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Police officer killed and several others injured by car bomb in Narathiwat

At least one police officer was killed and ten others injured by a car bomb at a police apartment block in Mueang district of Thailand’s restive southern province of Narathiwat…

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Insurgents attack two petrol stations in Pattani on Tuesday night

Two petrol stations in Thailand’s restive southern border province of Pattani were attacked by insurgents on Tuesday night. There were no reported injuries. Witnesses told security officials that two men…

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Army officer killed and another injured in bomb blast in Narathiwat Province

An army captain was killed and another officer seriously injured when the vehicle in which they were travelling was struck by a roadside bomb in Chanae district of Thailand’ssouthern border…

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Suspected insurgent killed in clash with security forces in Narathiwat

A suspected insurgent, against whom three arrest warrants have been issued, was shot dead by security forces at a house in Muang district of Narathiwat province yesterday (Saturday). Security forces…

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Police officer killed and four injured in explosion in Pattani

A policeman was killed and four others injured when a pickup truck, in which they were travelling on their routine night patrol, was struck by a roadside bomb in front…

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Four rangers and a villager wounded in roadside explosion in Narathiwat

Four para-military rangers and one villager were injured in an explosion on a local road in Si Sakhon district of Thailand’ssouthern border province of Narathiwat today (Monday). The rangers were…

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Incendiary device found in 7-11 in Narathiwat province neutralised

Staff at a convenience store in the southern border province of Narathiwat narrowly escaped injury from an improvised incendiary device, left inside the store by a suspected insurgent who possibly…

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Insurgents in Tuesday’s attacks seen wearing shirts bearing BRN flag

Two of the three southern insurgents allegedly responsible for torching one of the 19 targets, mostly convenience stores, in three southern provinces of Thailand on Tuesday night, wore the flag…

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Ten convenience stores, gas station in Thailand’s Deep South fire-bombed

Ten convenience stores and a gas station in three restive southern provinces were fire-bombed by suspected insurgents last night (Tuesday) in what local authorities believe to have been coordinated attacks…

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Car bomb builder sentenced to 46 years in prison by Yala court

A car bomb maker was sentenced to a total of 46 years in prison today (Tuesday) by the Yala provincial court after he was found guilty of involvement, with eight…

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Three troopers injured in insurgent attack in Tak Bai Wednesday night

Three army troopers were injured when their outpost, at a pier in Tak Bai district of the southern province of Narathiwat, came under explosive and automatic gunfire attack on Wednesday…

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Thailand’s Deep South enjoys a peaceful Ramadan this year

People in Thailand’s Deep South are pleased with the relatively peaceful situation in the strife-torn region during this year’s Islamic Holy month of Ramadan, which ended yesterday (Monday). The peace…

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Two police officers killed by roadside bomb in Yala

Two police officers were killed and two others injured by a roadside bomb in Bannang Sata district of the southern border province of Yala this morning (Wednesday). The four officers…

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Chief security advisor says loopholes remain in Thailand’s southern peace talk process

Thursday’s siege in Songkhla’s Chana district, which ended in the deaths of three suspected insurgents and the capture of a fourth, could be seen, by some, as an achievement at…

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Fourth southern insurgent held after 10-hour siege in Songkhla

The fourth insurgent, holding out in a house in Chana district of Thailand’s southern province of Songkhla, was captured by security forces on Thursday evening, following a siege which lasted…

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Three suspected insurgents killed by Thai security forces in Songkhla

Three suspected insurgents were shot dead by government security forces in the Chana district of Thailand’s southern province of Songkhla this morning (Thursday), according to the Internal Security Operations Command…

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Image Credit: Thai PBS’s Southern news bureau

Multiple explosions in Yala last night, one man injured

At least one man was injured as explosions occurred at 13 locations in Muang district of Thailand’s southern province of Yala last night (Friday). Police said that several of the…

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Suspected insurgents killed by Thai government forces in Pattani province

Two suspected southern insurgents were shot dead by Thai government forces during a siege at a house in Thung Yang Daeng district of the restive southern province of Pattani on…

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Monks and rangers narrowly escape explosion in Thailand’s Narathiwat

Two monks, and the two paramilitary rangers escorting them, narrowly escaped serious injury and death this morning (Saturday) when an explosive device, hidden in a roadside waste bin, was detonated…

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Security guard murdered in front of a mosque in Thailand’s Yala province

A village security guard was shot dead in front of a masjid in Muang district of the southern border province of Yala after attending Friday night prayers. The victim, Sudeng…

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One officer killed in clash with insurgents in Thailand’s Narathiwat province

An army officer was killed in a firefight with insurgents hiding in a forest peat swamp in the southern border province of Narathiwat on Saturday night, as government forces tightened…

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Bomb explodes on Bangkok bound freight train in Narathiwat province

A special train, bound for Bangkok from Su-ngai Kolok district of the southernmost province of Narathiwat, was hit by a bomb blast today (Saturday). The device is believed to have…

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Libong islanders blame Harbour Department for killing seagrass

Residents of Thailand’s Libong Island, off the southern province of Trang, are crying foul after the Harbor Department allegedly dumped muddy sediment into the sea, resulting in the death of…

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One ranger killed and two injured by suspected insurgents in Pattani province

A para-military ranger was killed while another, and an army trooper, were injured in an ambush by suspected southern insurgents and a subsequent explosion in Sai Buri district of Thailand’s…

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Bodies of three suspected insurgents found in rice field in Pattani

Government forces, combing a rice field in Yarang district of Thailand’s southern border province of Pattani, have found the bodies of three suspected insurgents, apparently killed in clashes which began…

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Two security officials killed and four hurt by explosions in Thailand’s Deep South

Two members of security forces protecting teachers, in Thailand’s southern border provinces of Pattani and Narathiwat, were killed and four others injured in two separate roadside bomb blasts this morning….

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Officials told to ensure transparency at Saturday’s Jana industrial estate hearing

The Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC) has been told to allow all stakeholders, both supporters and opponents of the Jana industrial estate project, to participate in the public hearing…

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Security increased in Yala’s Muang district to brace for insurgent attacks

Security, in the Muang district of Thailand’s southern border province of Yala, has been stepped up, and Buddhist communities have been warned to exercise extra caution and watch out for…

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18 injured in two explosions in front of SBPAC office in Thailand’s Yala province

18 people were injured in two explosions, believed to be caused by devices detonated by southern insurgents, in front of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre in Muang district of…

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Five policemen injured in two explosions in Yala province

At least five policemen were injured in two explosions, in front of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre, in the southern province of Yala this morning.   The first explosion…

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Eight people, including two children, injured in Songkhla explosion

Two school children were among eight people injured by shrapnel from a roadside bomb near a public park in the Sabayoi district of Thailand’s southern province of Songkhla today. Also…

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Emergency decree in Deep South extended for 3 months

The emergency decree, currently in effect in Thailand’s three southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and certain districts of Songkhla province, is to be extendeduntil June 19th. The…

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Insurgent killed in clash with security forces in Narathiwat

A southern insurgent was shot dead and two defence volunteers were wounded in related clashes in Sukhirin district of Thailand’s southern border province of Narathiwat today (Sunday). According to police…

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Forestry official gunned down in broad daylight in Yala

A forestry official was shot and killed in broad daylight, in Muang district of Thailand’s restive southern province of Yala, by suspected insurgents as he was riding home on a…

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Two suspected insurgents killed in shootout with security forces in Pattani

Two suspected insurgents were shot dead by security forces at a house in the Nong Chik district of Thailand’s southern province of Pattani on Thursday night.   Colonel Pramote Prom-in,…

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Three policemen injured by blast in Thailand’s Narathiwat province

Three traffic police officers were injured this evening (Tuesday), one of them seriously, in the roadside detonation of a device, believed to have been planted by southern insurgents, in the…

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Five suspects held in pre-dawn sweep in Yala province

Security forces have been combing the Nang Chan mountain range, which straddles the borders of Muang district of Yala and Kok Po district of Pattani, to search for suspects involved…

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Ranger stabbed by assailant linked to insurgents in Narathiwat

A paramilitary ranger sustained serious injury after he was stabbed by a man who tried, unsuccessfully, to seize his service rifle, and who was quickly subdued by another ranger.  …

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