Residents of the deep South are voicing opposition to government plans to set up shelters for trafficked Rohingya migrants.
They expressed their dissatisfaction after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday said the government was discussing establishing holding centres for Rohingya and trafficked migrants.
The reaction came as police on Wednesday found four more graves in the Khao Kaew mountain range in Padang Besar and exhumed three bodies.
Gen Prayut conceded that all aspects of the proposal must be carefully considered.
Many human rights activists are in agreement with the government's shelter idea.
Prin Panjin, mayor of tambon Cha-uat municipality of Nakhon Si Thammarat's Cha-uat district, said he is keeping a close eye on the news to find out where the shelters would be built if the plan is approved.
Locals reacted angrily when asked about the possibility of setting up shelters at the central market and temple, he said.
The consequences of the shelters are unknown, Mr Prin said, but if problems occur, locals will have to bear the brunt. Problems could range from disease to heavy burdens on the public health system to unrest, he said.
A protest will be launched if the shelters are to be built in the area, he said.
Deputy mayor of Phuket's Patong municipality, Chairat Sukban, said a public hearing should be held to gauge opinions on the Rohingya shelter plan.
He warned the Rohingya's Muslim faith could lead to conflicts with Buddhists in the area.
"There must be confirmation that the migrants will not cause disturbances or problems with communities near the camps," Mr Chairat said.
Phuket Tourism Association vice-president Sarayut Mallum said shelters should not be located near tourist attractions and must be temporary.
However, Ali Arif, a member of the Council for Humanitarian Networking of Sheikhul Islam Office, praised the government's plan to set up shelters for Rohingya, but said that international agencies and NGOs should be invited to discuss ideas together.
Meanwhile, talks between Thailand and Malaysia's top policemen were held in Phuket to boost ties and find new ways to stamp out transnational crime, including the trafficking of Rohingya migrants.
National police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang said he asked his Malaysian counterpart, Tan Sri Dato Sri Khalid bin Abu Bakar, to return suspected traffickers fleeing to Malaysia back to Thailand for prosecution.
Thailand cannot solve the problem alone, Pol Gen Somyot said, adding that cooperation from migrants' countries of origin and destination is essential.
Police earlier confirmed that a key suspect in Rohingya trafficking operations in Satun and Padang Besar had fled to Langkawi in Malaysia. Patchuban Angchotipan, known as Ko Tong, the ex-chairman of the Satun provincial administration organisation, is said to have fled three days before his arrest warrant was issued.
The Malaysian police chief insisted that human trafficking is his government's top priority.
From March to April this year, Malaysia arrested 38 traffickers from seven networks, he said. Of them, 16 are Malaysian nationals, including two police officers and the networks' mastermind. Others are 21 Myanmar nationals and an Indonesian.
About 30 million baht has been confiscated from the network.
Pol Gen Somyot said the Royal Thai Police has sent the assistant police attache to Myanmar to seek cooperation from authorities there with tackling human trafficking networks.
Most Rohingya migrants are fleeing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State.
Meanwhile, Piyawat Pongthai, known as Ko Yong — wanted under an arrest warrant for colluding with others to traffic Rohingya, assisting illegal migrants to enter the country, detentions and ransoms — turned himself in to police in Muang district of Ranong.
He denied all the charges against him.
Deputy national police chief Ek Angsananon said Mr Patchuban is the biggest financier of the network, but there are likely to be others higher up than him.
Police arrested three more suspects — Piyawat Pongthai, Satit Maetin and Samatchai Hamad — for involvement in trafficking migrants to Padang Besar camps.
Police have so far arrested 24 out of 61 suspects wanted under arrest warrants for human trafficking.