Bomb Blasts in Hat Yai & Songkhla
A series of bombs have been detonated in the last few days in southern Thailand. The first series of co-ordinated bombings came on Sunday evening in Hat Yai, close to the Malaysian border. Another explosion struck in Saba Yoi in Songkhla province on Monday afternoon, killing four people including two children.
There has been continuing unrest in the Deep South of Thailand for the past few years and it is not clear whether these attacks are related to that insurgency or whether it has political motives. Hat Yai is not part of the troubled provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, but its proximity to the troubled area makes it an obvious target for insurgents. The town is very popular with tourists from Malaysia and Singapore, many of whom visit at weekends. Hat Yai is less popular with Western visitors, but Hat Yai train station is an often-used point of entry for backpackers heading into southern Thailand from Malaysia.
It’s not the first time Hat Yai has been targeted; in April 2005 a bomb exploded at the airport killing 4 people and another series of explosions went off in September 2006.
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