24-2-2025 – In a series of coordinated attacks that have sent shockwaves through Thailand’s restive southern border provinces, multiple bomb blasts marred the eve and morning of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s highly anticipated visit to the region.
The violence unfolded dramatically at Narathiwat airport, where an explosive device concealed in a firefighters’ pickup truck detonated near the air traffic control tower. The blast, occurring merely an hour before Thaksin’s scheduled arrival, left four airport security personnel wounded and prompted an immediate security sweep of the facility.
Despite the morning’s turbulence, Thaksin’s delegation, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, proceeded with their planned landing. The former premier, making his first appearance in the region in approximately two decades, remarked on the warmth of his reception.
The preceding night witnessed a more tragic incident in neighbouring Yala province, where a sophisticated explosive device, ingeniously concealed within a fire extinguisher and packed with steel shrapnel, detonated outside a Mini BigC supermarket in Bannang Sata district. The blast claimed the life of local resident Tuan Ibrawheng Nimi and left seven police officers injured during their routine patrol.
Forensic experts, conducting their meticulous investigation at the Bannang Sata scene, documented extensive damage to nearby vehicles while bomb disposal units secured the area. The explosion, which occurred along Highway 10 in Moo 2 village, also resulted in injuries to four civilians.
The timing of these attacks, coinciding with Thaksin’s scheduled tour of Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala provinces, has raised concerns about security in the region.
