Between February 21 and 23, 2025, three security incidents occurred in Thailand’s southern provinces ahead of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s visit to Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat on February 23. On the evening of February 21, a loud noise resembling an explosion was reported near the Wat Cho-airong Temple in Narathiwat, after six young men on motorcycles threw a large firecracker at it. On February 22, an IED initiated in front of a supermarket in Yala’s Bannang Sata District. On February 23, a second IED initiated in a firefighter’s pickup truck at Narathiwat Airport, shortly before former PM Thaksin’s delegation arrived.
These incidents highlight the persistent volatility in Thailand’s Deep South, where insurgent groups retain both the intent and capability to conduct disruptive actions, particularly during high-profile political visits. While no casualties were reported in connection with the events, the coordinated timing and symbolic targeting suggest a deliberate attempt to undermine perceptions of stability in the region.
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