PM Paetongtarn urges calm over Southern unrest but vows to track insurgents after 4 civilians—including a child and blind woman—were gunned down and a police officer killed by a bomb. BRN denies targeting civilians as anger grows among frontline forces.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday urged the media and commentators to tone down inflammatory rhetoric surrounding the escalating security crisis in Southern Thailand. Over the weekend, four civilians were murdered—including a nine-year-old girl and a blind grandmother—while a police officer investigating one of the attacks was later killed by an improvised explosive device. A statement from the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) has since denied responsibility for violence targeting civilians. Nevertheless, frustration and anger are mounting, particularly within the ranks of security personnel caught in what has become a bitter and increasingly deadly insurgency.
With public unease growing over the deteriorating security situation in the South, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday still tried to emphasize peace. Following Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister warned against using religious or divisive rhetoric at this time.
She underscored that every lost life matters deeply. The government, she said, supports no form of violence. Certainly, the PM said those responsible for the outages must be tracked down and arrested.
Prime Minister directs police and military to track attackers and rejects BRN statement as diversion
She confirmed that detailed orders had already been given to both police and military to hunt the attackers. She is personally following the investigations and has coordinated efforts with Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai to reinforce border operations.
Her statement came as the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) issued a statement which appeared to deny responsibility for the shootings over the weekend. These saw a 9-year-old girl murdered in addition to a blind 76-year-old woman returning for a doctor’s appointment.
The Prime Minister responded cautiously, saying the BRN’s statement would not derail the pursuit of justice. Police, she noted, are under strict orders to prosecute those involved under full legal process.
Indeed, on Saturday, 4 innocent civilians were gunned down. Reports suggest that the gunmen entered Thailand from Malaysia. Police forensics later confirmed a link between at least one of the guns used to a previous murder in the southern provinces.
This chilling pattern points to organised cross-border networks. Intelligence reports suggest the group may have previously ambushed village volunteers to steal weapons.
Border Guards lash out at leadership over vehicle bans and exposure after wave of fatal ambushes
On Monday, the members of the Border Guards Force in the southern provinces issued an extremely strong and emotional statement. It criticized senior leadership for not supporting officers on the front lines.
Troops accused the central command of leaving field units exposed. Tensions have spiked since the latest ambushes on law enforcement.
In particular, it was highly critical of plans to cease the use of individual transports which were ordered impounded at central bases. The junior officers noted that scheduled transports that would subsequently be required presented an even more dangerous target to the insurgents.
Officers on the ground warned that pooled transport schedules made predictable targets. Impounded vehicles, they argue, increase operational risk.
Meanwhile, the region saw further tragedy when a bomb was planted in a CCTV camera box in Narathiwat’s Chanae District. The explosion injured three police officers—one of whom, Police Sergeant Major Phakphong Suwanchana, later died from shrapnel wounds.
Police killed by a bomb in CCTV box while investigating grandmother’s murder in an ongoing security crisis
The policemen were investigating Saturday’s murder of the 76-year-old grandmother. The fatally injured officer had climbed a pole to retrieve CCTV footage from a malfunctioning camera tied to the shooting of the blind woman. As he reached the box, the bomb detonated.
The blast cracked the electric pole and left metal fragments scattered at the site. Rain and poor visibility hampered the initial forensic sweep.
CCTV footage from the area has captured the attackers’ movements, which police are using to track escape routes. Officials suspect the same network behind the murder of three villagers in Tak Bai on later on May 2.
Six armed assailants on three motorbikes attacked a home, killing three people, including a nine year old girl. Two others were seriously wounded.
Investigators found 5.56mm shell casings, possibly from AK-102 rifles stolen during a previous ambush on volunteer guards.
Police believe these six men are also responsible for earlier killings of defence personnel in February 2024. Authorities suspect they fled through natural border channels into Malaysia.
PM says border surveillance will be tightened as Thailand seeks regional support through ASEAN links
The Prime Minister stressed that soldiers have since increased checkpoints and are actively hunting these suspects. Talks with Malaysia are underway to tighten cross-border surveillance.
She also revealed that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had spoken with ASEAN chair, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim to support regional dialogue. Despite public concerns, she assured citizens that the government was not standing idle. Cabinet members are monitoring the situation closely, especially those representing southern constituencies.
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“We must work together to restore peace,” she said. In particular, she urged the media and the public not to inflame tensions. “This is a national issue, not one of religion or race.”
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Further reading:
Lawyer calls for prosecution of top officials in the Tak Bai case as PM rules out Emergency Degree
Bomb attacks in Narathiwat just a week before the Tak Bai massacre anniversary injures eight
Pheu Thai MP and former army commander in the South out of the country safe from an arrest warrant
Narathiwat bomb explosion leaves one senior police officer dead. PM demands tighter security
Pattani bombs put Thai security agencies on alert as they gear up for APEC Summit in Bangkok
Top insurgent leader suspected as behind Monday night’s large bomb attack on Pattani district
