KOTA BARU: Thai authorities have beefed up security in its southern provinces bordering Malaysia following 17 bomb and arson attacks in the country's restive south over the past 24 hours.
Narathiwat deputy governor Patimoh Sadiyamu said the incidents happened in three southern border provinces — Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat — between last night and this morning.
Despite the incidents, she said, border security between the country and Malaysia, especially along the Kelantan border, was secure.
"Nine of the 17 bomb and arson attacks occurred in Narathiwat province, including in Sungai Golok town bordering Rantau Panjang in Kelantan.
"But these incidents happened in the outskirt areas and not in the town," she told the New Straits Times.
Patimoh said Malaysians, especially those from Kelantan, should not fear crossing over to Thailand as police and other agencies had tightened security since last night.
"Our border town is safe, and travellers, including Malaysians, should not worry about coming over to Sungai Golok town or other Thai provinces to spend their weekend or vacation," she added.
Thailand began to receive Malaysian visitors when the border was reopened in May this year.
Insurgents launched coordinated bomb and arson attacks on convenience stores and petrol stations at 17 places in the border provinces, causing considerable damage, as reported by the Bangkok Post today.
The attacks in began late on Tuesday night and continued into the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Three people were reported to have been injured.
They were aimed at disrupting the region's economy, according to Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4.
Major General Pramote Prom-in, deputy director of Isoc Region 4, had said the attacks occurred almost simultaneously, as he updated earlier reports that 11 spots were attacked.
There were two attacks in Pattani, six in Yala and nine in Narathiwat, he said.
In the Sungai Golok sub-province, there was a fire at a 7-Eleven store at a PTT petrol station in Tambon Pasemat Municipality. The fire spread to two fuel pumps but was quickly put out. The store was extensively damaged.
Arsonists also struck a 7-Eleven store and a Mini Big C store at Moo 1 village in Cho Airong district of Narathiwat, causing some damage.