The army has moved three battalions from the Thai-Cambodian border in Prachin Buri to support the military's work in the three southernmost provinces by promoting community relations and waging a psychological war to win the hearts and minds of the villagers.

Col Thirachai Nakvanich, commander of the 2nd Infantry Regiment Royal Guard, said about 2,700 officers, or three battalions, from a regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division Royal Guard had left Prachin Buri in early January for Yala's Betong district, Narathiwat's Sukhirin district and Pattani's Muang district. They will remain there for at least one year.

``This is the first time soldiers from Prachin Buri had been deployed in the three southern border provinces. They would focus on ending misunderstandings between Thai Buddhists and Thai Muslims and try to convince villagers not to support the instigators of unrest in the region and the separatist groups,'' he added. He would invite Muslim religious teachers and leaders in the three provinces to openly talk with the military about their concepts and separatist ideas so that their problems could be understood better.

Villagers are now less suspicious of the military after nearly a month of door-to-door community relations campaigns and activities that have also involved the renovation of Buddhist temples and meetings with local Muslim leaders, he said.

An informed military source said the reinforcements have raised the number of army personnel in the deep South to almost 20,000, or 18 battalions. Nine battalions have come from the Fourth Army's 5th infantry division and the rest from the First and Second armies and special warfare units in the central, eastern and western regions and the Northeast.

The setting up of a 15th Infantry Division, made up 2,000 commissioned officers and some 10,000 privates, to provide better security in the deep South, is also planned. Cabinet will discuss the proposal today.