‘The walls shook’: Southern Thailand blasts send a scare across the border into Pasir Mas

Pasir Mas, a town in Kelantan, felt the tremors of explosions from bomb attacks that occurred in southern Thailand last night. The blasts were so powerful that they shook homes, even reaching as far as Pasir Mas. Residents in Rantau Panjang and Pengkalan Kubor reported hearing the explosions, not only near the border but also within Pasir Mas.

Azman Ayub, a 40-year-old resident from Kampung Tanjong, recounted feeling the walls of his house shake due to a loud blast. He thought it was a lightning strike initially, but later learned it was an explosion in Sungai Golok town. Faridah Osman, a 53-year-old woman from Kampung Banggol Chicha, also noticed the blasts and initially thought they were thunder until she saw on social media that they were caused by bombs in southern Thailand.

This marks the first time she has experienced such a sound from that region. The attacks took place simultaneously in about 12 locations across southern Thailand's provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. Narathiwat reportedly had the most incidents, followed by Yala and Pattani. Thai security forces responded by increasing patrols and closing several areas for checks, including parts of Sungai Kolok and Tak Bai.

Authorities are currently assessing the damage and investigating the extent of the attacks and identifying those responsible.