People in Southern Thai urged to stay calm and not panic - Thai govt

According to its spokesman, Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd, the security authorities had began hunting down the perpetrators behind the attacks and were confident that they would be arrested soon.

"The government wants the people to have confidence in the officials who are carrying out their duties. Please do not panic, because that (panic) is what the insurgents want," he said today.

Security in southern Thai will be stepped up, he said, adding that the government also urged people in the provinces to be the eyes and ears for the authorities in relaying vital information to keep violence at bay.

Sansern was responding to the coordinated bombing, shooting and arson attacks in Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkla by unidentified assailants late last night.

A night of violence in the three southernmost provinces according to security officials saw approximately 13 bomb explosions, five shooting incidents as well as five arson attacks.

Besides the three dead and six injured, last night's violence which began almost simultaneously from 9.30 pm onwards saw a petrol station and a car showroom in the provinces burned down, electricty poles toppled and a building housing an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) destroyed by a powerful bomb.

Two of the dead were the car showroom's guard while the other casualty was a soldier who was shot dead while manning his security post in Mueang province, Pattani.

According to Sansern, the Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha had instructed the authorities to render help to the families affected with the violence and to take of their wellbeing.