More than 50 Southern Thailand border arson attacks hit Thailand's southern border provinces on Saturday night, with incidents reported from 20:00 local time until midnight. At least two people were injured, and the attacks set fire to a local government office building, a convenience store and a stolen vehicle.
Most of the attacks were reported in Narathiwat. Two women were injured when a bomb exploded in Muang district, and telecommunication towers were set on fire in several locations. Authorities imposed an overnight curfew in Narathiwat that was lifted on Sunday morning.
Narathiwat curfew lifted Sunday
No further attacks had been reported on Sunday after the overnight curfew ended. The Thai military said the attacks were aimed at creating unrest, while no group has claimed responsibility. The pattern fits a region where violence has continued since 2004 and more than 7,000 people have been killed.
Hat Yai visit next week
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and members of his cabinet are scheduled to make a two-day visit to Hat Yai in southern Songkhla province next week. The visit follows a July attack in Narathiwat in which five soldiers were killed and a planned dialogue process was postponed.
Talks facilitated by Malaysia began in 2013, but the peace process has repeatedly stalled amid changing governments in Bangkok and internal divisions on both sides. Rebels in the Muslim-majority region have been battling for greater autonomy since 2004, and the latest attacks again left the question of who organized them unanswered.
