Fourth Army chief aims to revive peace talks, add drug-trafficking issue to BRN dialogue
Newly appointed Fourth Army commander Lt Gen Norathip Poinok moves to re-energise the Southern peace dialogue and proposes adding cross-border drug trafficking to formal talks with BRN.
The new Fourth Army Area Commander, Lt Gen Norathip Poinok, is moving swiftly to revive the Southern Peace Dialogue, aiming to bring the long-standing conflict in Thailand’s deep South into a new phase — one that also addresses the region’s cross-border drug-trafficking crisis.
Lt Gen Norathip’s appointment drew scrutiny as he is considered an “outsider” to the Fourth Army, having come from the Northeast, yet he now takes on one of the country’s most complex security portfolios. His arrival coincided with a surge of violence, including a brazen gold-shop robbery inside a Big C mall in Su-ngai Kolok, followed by multiple serious incidents throughout the month.
Despite the unrest, momentum has begun building for a reset of the peace process, following the government’s appointment of Gen Somsak Roongsita as the new head of the peace dialogue panel.
The National Security Council of Malaysia this week issued a statement confirming a new mutual understanding between the Thai government and Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) to resume formal peace talks by December 2025. The first meeting of the technical working group is expected before the end of the year.
As the director of the Internal Security Operations Command Region 4, Lt Gen Norathip said he has instructed all units to work at full capacity to create local mechanisms that will complement the national-level dialogue — in line with Malaysia’s emphasis on listening to local communities.
“We are preparing to integrate work at the provincial level, including key agenda items for joint discussions with Malaysia — especially the drug-trafficking problem that affects both sides,” he said.
Lt Gen Norathip said the talks must move beyond only discussing violence or ideological disputes. He emphasised the need to identify “new points of common interest”, noting that tackling narcotics smuggling is a consensus issue:
“No party would object — not the Thai government, not Malaysia, and not even BRN. It is clearly a shared concern.”
He confirmed that local-level peace committees would be established in every province to enable dialogue within each area, and preparations are already underway.
The commander pointed to recent drug seizures in Songkhla, where more than three million methamphetamine pills were confiscated within just 2–3 days, illustrating the severity of the crisis.
“Drug trafficking is causing hardship for people in the deep South, just as violence does. Both Thailand and Malaysia agree that this problem needs to be solved together.”
Lt Gen Norathip concluded that addressing the region’s challenges requires genuine cooperation:
“This is why cross-border drug suppression must be placed on the official negotiation table. It reflects our commitment to addressing security issues that go beyond armed violence.”
The Fourth Army chief’s strategy marks the strongest signal yet that Thailand intends to broaden the scope of the peace process — tying security, narcotics, and regional cooperation into a single track aimed at long-term stability.
