The state of emergency in the deep South will be extended for another three months from Dec 20 for security reasons.
Maj Gen Patchasak Patirupanont, a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, said on Monday that a meeting of the Emergency Situation Administration Committee (Esac) chaired by Gen Prawit agreed with a proposal of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4 to extend the decree in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.
This was necessary on the grounds that the insurgents still had the potential to carry out violent operations in the region and amid signs they may resort to violence in various ways, Maj Gen Patchasak said.
The only districts free of restrictions are Mae Lan in Pattani, Betong in Yala plus Sungai Kolok, Sukhirin and Si Sakhon in Narathiwat. The state of emergency will continue everywhere else in the three provinces until March 30.
Maj Gen Patchasak said Esac's decision would soon be forwarded to the cabinet for ratification and that Gen Prawit had ordered Isoc and Esac to come up with a new plan to reduce the number of restricted areas in order to accommodate regional economic development.
Meanwhile, a deserted camp full of tents, believed to have been used by insurgents, was found on a mountain in Si Sakhon district, Narathiwat on Sunday by a combined police-military force sent to scour the area.
The task force discovered the deserted campsite near Moo 3 village in tambon Sako, where they found 13 tents, many survival kits, three spent AK47 rifle cartridges and one pipe bomb.
The search was launched after a local man was shot dead while hunting wild pigs on Friday.
Sophon Thasuk, 55, and three friends separated after going into the forest on Bilo mountain.
At about 2pm, his three friends heard a series of gunshots and immediately went to their agreed rendezvous spot. Mr Sophon did not turn up and rangers found his body four hours later. He had been shot multiple times.