Security has been stepped up in the South following a spate of violent attacks over the past week.

Additional measures have been ordered in the restive provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, as well as around strategic locations and tourist hot spots in Songkhla.

National police chief Gen Chakthip Chaijinda visited Narathiwat on Sunday evening following a series of violent episodes that occurred there last week, and instructed his men to intensify their efforts to keep things under control. His delegation was joined by Fourth Army commander Pornsak Poonsawat, who also serves as head of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4.

Bomb and gun attacks have rocked Narathiwat's Rangae district in recent days with the latest reported in tambon Ba Ngo on Sunday night. Two roadside electricity poles in Bae Rate village were damaged when the bomb went off at 8.15pm but there were no reports of injuries. Security officers suspect the bomb was the work of insurgents behind an explosion at a concrete railway sleeper near Ban Yaba in Rueso district, as well as another bomb attack at roadside power poles at Ban Bo Thong in Rangae on Dec 28-29.

Also on Dec 28, a group of militants seized a community hospital in Rangae to launch an attack on a nearby civilian defence volunteer base. The assault reportedly lasted for half an hour before the attackers fled. There were no reports of injuries.

After inspecting some of the attack targets including the civilian defence volunteer base, Pol Gen Chakthip's team also visited security officials at Thaksin Ratchaniwet Palace in Muang district to see how well prepared they were for more attacks. The police chief later flew to Phuket to inspect security preparations ahead of the New Year celebrations. The resort island is crowded with local and foreign tourists as well as VIP guests.

The Malaysian Foreign Ministry has advised its nationals living in Thailand or travelling to the country to remain vigilant and exercise caution at all times following the bombings and shootings, reported local newspaper The Star. According to the paper's website, violence had been reported in various parts of Narathiwat and Songkhla, and Malaysians are encouraged to register with their embassy in Bangkok or the consulate-general of Malaysia in Songkhla while in Thailand.

Meanwhile, a military source close to the situation in the South said young insurgents are opposed to a meeting between Dulloh Waemanor, head of Barisan Revolusi Nasional's (BRN) armed group, and Gen Udomchai Thammasaroraj, head of the Thai negotiation team, according to the source. Malaysia's new facilitator for the peace talks, Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor, has brokered a meeting between the pair, which is believed to have triggered the attacks, the source said.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has championed the peace talks. He suggested Thailand try offering southerners more autonomy to persuade them to give up their struggle for independence. He made the remark in an interview with local media during a visit to Thailand to receive an honorary doctorate degree in the field of social leadership, entrepreneurship and politics at Rangsit University in December.

In another development, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has condemned the spate of violence in the South and called for stepped up security. It said the attacks, even those that don't yield casualties, are inhumane and the state should come up with proper measures to guarantee the health and safety of both personnel and the general public.