Members of an insurgent group are believed to be responsible for hanging up a banner and spray-painting pro-insurgency messages as well as planting a fake bomb in four districts.
Pol Col Apakorn Wirupakarak, superintendent of the Ra-ngae police station, yesterday was alerted to the banner and the discovery of what turned out to be a fake bomb in Ban Thong village in tambon Tanyongmat of Rangae district.
Written on the banners in Thai was: "Does long-lasting peace really exist?"
The banner was tied between a rubber tree and a power pole along a village road. Suspects also sprayed the same message with red paint on the road.
Five metres away from the banner, authorities found a cylinder tied to a power pole. It had two electric cords sticking out of it, according to Pol Col Apakorn.
He said security authorities, as well as the bomb disposal squad and officers from the provincial forensic science office, arrived to investigate.
The bomb disposal unit confirmed the cylinder was a fake bomb, supposedly installed to mislead officers.
Pol Col Apakorn said officers had taken down the banner and erased the message on the road.
Similar banners with the same message were also found in other districts of Cho Airong, Bacho and Yi-ngo districts.
Pol Col Apakorn said the authorities have collected evidence from the scenes for further forensic examination.