Yala governor Anuchit Trakulmuthuta on Saturday insisted peace talks in the far South remain in the pipeline although Thailand must first sound out new Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad after his political comeback.
Anuchit Trakulmuthuta
The governor said Thai and Malaysian authorities would gear up for peace talks under a framework agreed by both countries, adding the talks would remain focused on public security and safety.
Mr Anuchit, however, said Thailand would also have to wait and see whether Malaysia would roll out fresh measures on peace talks under Dr Mahathir's administration.
As yet, no additional measures or regulations have been announced by the Malaysian government, he said.
"It is necessary to understand that previous [violent] incidents sometimes were not caused by security issues because they were the result of personal conflicts or the drugs trade, similar to other provinces," Mr Anuchit said.
Dr Mahathir, 92, the former Malaysian prime minister and opposition leader, was sworn in as the world's oldest elected leader late on May 10 after a stunning election win that swept Malaysia's Barisan National coalition from power after more than six decades.
Commenting on a string of ATMs explosions in Pattani on May 20, Mr Anuchit said those behind the attacks aimed to damage the local economy.
Deputy provincial governor Worachet Promopas also voiced support for the governor, saying he believed the makeup and leadership of Malaysia's new government would not significantly affect the deep South as the MPs along Thai-Malaysian border remained largely the same.
In Narathiwat, a villager was killed and a former defence volunteer badly wounded in a gun attack at a local tea shop in Rangae district early yesterday morning. Authorities believe it is the work of insurgents.
Police and soldiers were deployed to the tea shop in tambon Chalerm after receiving reports of the gun attack around 2.25am, said Pol Col Surapong Chartsut, chief of Rangae police.
They found a man, identified later as Mahamasuekree Leetalae, 53, lying in a pool of blood near a table.
He had sustained a gunshot wound to his chest and died at the scene.
Next to him, Yalaning Samae, 32, owner of the tea shop and a former defence volunteer, was seriously injured with gunshot wounds to his chest and his left leg.
He was rushed to a local hospital before being transported to Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Hospital.
Officers found five spent AK cartridges scattered around the shop and one spent 9mm cartridge near the wall.
Pol Col Surapong said police had yet to establish the cause of the attack.
They were looking into a conflict over drugs and also the ongoing unrest as possible motives.
Mr Yalaning had been sacked from the defence volunteer duty for his alleged involvement in the illicit drug trade, said the district police chief.
In a separate incident, three ATM bomb attacks were also reported across Pattani's three districts -- Muang, Khok Pho and Yarang -- on Friday and yesterday. No casualties were reported.