The SEE TRUE news team investigated the scene, uncovering the background and method of the "bombing" of government offices in the southern border provinces, believed to be a declaration of refusal to accept Thai state authority.
This follows a series of unrest incidents across the three southern border provinces, totaling more than 108 locations between 22 and 24 August. The investigative team from SEE TRUE, Thairath TV, visited the area to delve into the background of the incidents, traveling to the office of Yata Subdistrict Administrative Organization (SAO). In Raman district, Yala province, which was targeted by the BRN insurgent group who secretly planted a bomb among other sites on the night of 22 August. However, the bomb failed to detonate, preventing the attack and revealing the bombing method aimed at burning vehicles and the SAO office.
Asman Goto, a security guard at Yata SAO, said the attackers entered the SAO parking garage, placed a bomb concealed in a picnic gas cylinder at the rear of a Toyota pickup belonging to the SAO’s administrative office, alongside a jerry can of fuel. They then smashed the windows of a rescue vehicle and a cherry picker. The intention appeared to be to detonate the bomb to burn four vehicles parked inside the garage, but the bomb did not explode. Notably, in 2011, the attackers had previously attempted to bomb this SAO office once before.
The SEE TRUE team also visited another municipality severely damaged by bombing and arson, Taluban Municipality in Sai Buri district, Pattani province.
Abdulhalim Minsar, the current mayor of the municipality, said the building, completed less than two years ago at a cost of 38 million baht, suffered damage estimated at 16 million baht. The attackers used two methods: bombing to destroy the building’s main pillars, creating a large crater and shattering all the glass doors and windows throughout the structure.
Additionally, the attackers went to various rooms on the second floor, doused them with fuel, and set fire to the strategic planning room and the municipal administrative office, completely burning both. Other rooms that had fuel poured on them were saved as the fire was extinguished before spreading.
In Pattani province, two other municipal and SAO offices were also bombed and set on fire, sustaining heavy damage, including Pho Ming Subdistrict Municipality in Panare district and Bang Khao SAO in Nong Chik district. In particular, at Pho Ming Municipality, besides setting fire to three vehicles, the attackers also torched the municipal officials’ offices and the municipal council meeting room, causing total destruction. On 27 August, some municipal staff were able to inspect the damage to the second-floor meeting room for the first time.
The SEE TRUE team consulted local sources about the reasons behind the arson attacks on municipal and SAO offices and vehicles across the three southern border provinces. They believe the BRN insurgency, which already opposes state authority, targeted these bombings and arsons of buildings and vehicles. This operation serves as a symbolic act declaring non-recognition of the Thai government's authority. Among the 108 incidents, bombs were planted and municipal and SAO offices were burned in three locations: two in Narathiwat and one in Yala at Yata SAO, though the bomb there did not detonate.