Bomb blasts, arson attacks hit southern Thailand as Malaysian visitor waits for border to reopen
Coordinated bomb blasts and arson attacks struck at least 12 locations across southern Thailand's Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat provinces, with a Malaysian visitor stranded in Golok describing chao... This article ( Bomb blasts, arson attacks hit southern Thailand as Malaysian visitor waits for border to reopen ) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News .
Across southern Thailand's Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat provinces, a series of simultaneous bomb blasts and arson attacks occurred on the evening of August 22, 2023, according to the New Straits Times (NST). The coordinated attacks commenced around 8:15 p.m., targeting public facilities and businesses with explosive devices, tire burning, and vehicle fires.
Narathiwat province bore the brunt of the violence, followed by Yala and Pattani. A Malaysian tourist, identified as Main, aged 35, provided a firsthand account of the chaos in Golok, a border town. Main and a companion had intended to leave the border checkpoint at 10 p.m. However, explosions around 9 p.m. compelled him to flee to the Golok Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security complex, where he was denied entry.
Security forces established roadblocks, effectively halting traffic in Golok. Main confided to the NST that he was traumatized and anxious to return to Kelantan the following morning, but was hindered by the tightened border controls. That night, he spent the night at a hotel in Golok, awaiting the reopening of the border. In Narathiwat, authorities imposed a temporary shutdown of designated zones such as Sungai Kolok and Tak Bai, alongside a curfew until 6 a.m.
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