The Escalation in the Deep South Halted Thailand From Revoking Martial Law

Worawan Klinsawai

A Person Holding a Gun by shraga kopstein via Unsplash, July 26, 2022

Since the beginning of Ramadan in 2025, Thailand’s Deep South has experienced a rapid escalation of insurgent attacks by Islamist separatists, targeting security personnel and local civilians. Recent security incidents have forced the Thai Government to revise its plans to lift martial law.

Bombings and shootings in the southernmost provinces of Thailand have surged significantly towards the end of April 2025. On April 28th, the latest incidents occurred in two districts of Yala. At around 12:40 a.m., the Thai security defence corps exchanged gunfire with armed militants in Bannang Sata, where a local security volunteer was fatally shot. Later, at around 9:45 a.m., two border patrol police officers were killed, and another officer was severely wounded due to an explosion in Thanto, planted by a separatist group suspected to be the National Revolutionary Front (Barisan Revolusi Nasional, BRN).

As a result, the Thai Government has revised its plans to lift martial law, which has been continually extended since 2004. The Thai cabinet initially considered removing martial law this month, as suggested by the business sector to improve the local economy. However, the escalation of insurgent attacks required the government to reassess the situation.

Last week, the Thai Government intensified security operations against the insurgency following the violent incidents targeting Buddhist novice monks and civilians in Songkhla and Narathiwat. On April 23rd, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai ordered the security forces to proactively address the conflict and report the progress within seven days.

Early this year, the Thai Government renewed its efforts for the peace process in the Deep South by reviewing its peace strategies and considering a new peace negotiation committee. Thailand also sought support from the Prime Minister of Malaysia, who expressed his willingness to appoint a moderator. To ensure effective negotiation, Deputy Prime Minister Wechayachai stated that Thailand wishes to hold peace dialogues only with the legitimate BRN leaders whose authority prevails over rebel groups.

Despite these efforts, separatist insurgents continued to carry out indiscriminate attacks on civilians, including children and fellow Muslims. Deadly violence in the Deep South has been ongoing at the cost of numerous lives for over two decades. Human rights defenders urged the Thai Government to expedite peace talks with a priority on returning the safety and livelihoods to people in the area.