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Waves of attacks in Thailand’s deep south leave villagers trapped in a cycle of fear

Security guard Ni-arfan Doloh was taking a routine photograph for his nightly report on Saturday when five masked men carrying rifles emerged from inside a…

By Samantha Johnson / August 28, 2026
Security guard Ni-arfan Doloh was taking a routine photograph for his nightly report on Saturday when five masked men carrying rifles emerged from inside a government office in Thailand’s southern Narathiwat province.

“I was shocked,” said Ni-arfan, 25, recalling how they led him and another guard behind the Chang Phueak subdistrict office, instructed them to sit with their hands behind their backs, and promised no harm would come to them.

The masked men then set fire to the building, one of at least 78 incidents in a coordinated wave ‌of arson, bombings and other attacks across four provinces in Thailand’s insurgency-hit deep south last weekend, injuring three people.

Dozens of coordinated arson attacks in Thailand’s insurgency-hit south

No group has claimed responsibility, as is the case with most attacks in the predominantly Muslim and ethnic Malay provinces bordering Malaysia, where a slow-burning insurgency waged by separatist movements has killed more than 7,800 people since violence flared in 2004.

Confined mostly to Thailand’s deep south, the violence has rarely intruded into the idyllic beaches and glimmering temples that make the country one of the world’s top destinations for millions of tourists each year.

But it has long shaped life in these rural provinces, dotted with rubber plantations and fishing communities, and the recent spate of attacks has heightened fear and mistrust, even as Bangkok seeks to revive peace talks.

The latest targets included government buildings, businesses and ⁠convenience stores, vehicles and pylons, while an explosion damaged railway tracks and disrupted train services.

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