Violence Flares Again in Thailand’s Deep South

Foreign Policy · Andrew Nachemson · 2026-10-28 14:51 UTC

With a pro-military government in power and nationalism on the rise, locals fear further escalation.

With a pro-military government in power and nationalism on the rise, locals fear further escalation.

NARATHIWAT AND PATTANI PROVINCES, Thailand—Habib Hinah didn’t cry out when the bullet pierced the back of his leg, he said. The 10-year-old instantly went into shock. He spent two weeks recovering in the hospital. “I’m not scared,” Habib insisted in August during an interview in his home, where the walls were pockmarked with bullet holes.

Habib was among six civilians injured in a July attack on a security checkpoint that also killed five members of the Thai security forces in Narathiwat province. That incident—involving both guns and pipe bombs—was followed in August by more than 50 coordinated attacks, mainly targeting infrastructure, such as government offices, telecommunications towers, and railways.

Read the full story at Foreign Policy · All coverage of this story