Volunteer killed by blast at train station
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Unrest continued in the deep South with bomb attacks over the weekend.
Yesterday an explosion near a train station in Narathiwat’s Sungai Padi district killed territorial-defence volunteer Fandee Jeh-arong, 31.
Fandee headed a team guarding Toh Deng Train Station. His eight subordinates were unharmed.
Police said a homemade device weighing about five kilograms was set off soon after 6am when Fandee was about to open a steel gate for a train arriving from
Sungai Kolok Train Station. He died from his wounds at a local hospital.
The blast left a three-feet-deep and six-feet-wide hole in the ground near the gate, which was 200 metres from the train station.
Police believe the ambush was staged to fan violence in the southern border provinces, which has dragged on in the region for about a decade.
Even though Thai authorities entered into peace talks with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional earlier this year, hostilities have not ceased.
On Saturday night, a five-kilogram bomb blew up in front of a mosque in the same province, wounding two privates when they were patrolling along a local road.
Lieutenant Ekachai Nakchum, who witnessed the attack, said he believed his team was targeted because it was conducting the patrol past the same spot every night.
However, he said his team members including Piyapong Chuchana and Boonchu Sawangwong were not discouraged.
“Piyapong and Boonchu are now in safe condition. They will go back on duty after they recover,” he said.
Last week, a blast annihilated a team of three police including respected bomb disposal expert Shaen Warongphaisit.
