13-1-2025 (PATTANI) Ten people, including a Malaysian tourist and several Thai law enforcement personnel, were wounded Monday morning when a motorcycle-borne explosive device detonated outside a police station in Thailand’s restive southern province of Pattani.
The blast occurred at approximately 8:20 am local time on Soi TK Park, adjacent to the Muang Pattani police station, authorities reported. The improvised explosive device had been carefully concealed within a motorcycle parked along the street.
Malaysian national Erfan Ezzamie Bin Erwannizam suffered chest discomfort from the explosion’s shock wave but showed no external injuries. Among the Thai casualties, three defence volunteers – Bunferng Malming, Panuwat Mairaksa, and Jehto Mana – sustained shrapnel wounds, whilst others reported symptoms including chest pain and tinnitus.
In response to the incident, bomb disposal experts were swiftly deployed to the scene. Security forces implemented mobile signal jamming measures and established a cordon, citing concerns about potential secondary devices targeting first responders.
A senior security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned that insurgent groups operating in Thailand’s Deep South have significantly advanced their bomb-making capabilities. “We’re seeing increasingly sophisticated devices that can be triggered through multiple means – mobile phones, radio signals, or timing mechanisms – often incorporated into a single device,” the official explained.
The bombing marks the latest incident in the long-running insurgency that has plagued Thailand’s southernmost provinces, where separatist groups have waged a campaign of violence against government forces and civilian targets for nearly two decades.
Local authorities have launched a full investigation into the attack, whilst security measures across the province have been heightened in response to the incident.
