On January 11, 2026, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul - who is also the Minister of Home Affairs - spoke out to reassure public opinion after a series of bombings and fires occurred almost simultaneously at 11 gas stations in three southern provinces of this country.
According to Mr. Anutin, security agencies believe that the main target of the incidents is not terrorism, but to destabilize and sabotage upcoming local elections.
Speaking to reporters at the Or Tor Kor (OTK) market in Bangkok, Prime Minister Anutin said that the attacks occurred at around midnight on January 10 in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani - three provinces bordering Malaysia, long considered "hot spots" of security in Thailand. He emphasized that fortunately there were no casualties in this series of incidents.
According to initial assessments, security forces believe this is a form of'signal' aimed at creating psychological instability, right at a sensitive time before the local government election (SAO). The goal is disruption, not terrorism in the traditional sense," Mr. Anutin said.
According to the Thai Prime Minister, the timing of the bombings - close to the local election day - is a key factor that led security officials to make the above assessment. He requested functional forces to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents, ensuring safety for people and the election process.
Mr. Anutin said that he has directly coordinated with the Command of Military Region 4 and Police Region 9 to handle the situation, and closely monitor developments in the southern provinces.
When asked if the government would convene an emergency security meeting, the Prime Minister said that exchanges are taking place between the units directly responsible, and there will be appropriate measures depending on the next level of developments.
The bombings in southern Thailand once again raised concerns about security in this region, which has witnessed many years of sporadic conflict, armed violence and attacks targeting functional forces as well as civilian infrastructure. However, Thai officials this time emphasized the political factor - elections, instead of extremist or organized terrorism motives.
On the same day, Mr. Anutin also updated the situation in the Thai - Cambodian border area, affirming that security has stabilized again. According to him, people who had to leave their homes for more than 20 days before were allowed to return during the New Year holiday and so far no new tense developments have been recorded.
There are currently no signs that a clash is about to occur, but Thailand must still maintain high vigilance" - Prime Minister Anutin emphasized, saying that security forces are still in a state of readiness along the border line to prevent any unexpected scenarios.
