A man was killed and his body dumped on one side of a road in Rueso district of Narathiwat province on Tuesday morning.
The body was identified to be of Sama-ae Mali, 52, of tambon Sawo in Rueso district, police said.
Police learned from witnesses Sama-ae was travelling on a motorcycle from his village to Rueso municipality. Some men followed him on a pick-up truck and opened fire at him with pistols.
Sama-ae lost control of his motorcycle and fell on the ground. The attackers walked up to him and shot him in the head and body, killing him on the spot.
They took Sama-ae's body and the motorcycle away in the pick-up truck, dumped the body on the side of Rueso - Jakua road near Ban Sawo, and fled with the motorcycle.
Police suspected it was the work of militants. The stolen vehicle could later be used as a motorcycle bomb.