Thai southern border region is struggling, residents tell new govt

Residents of Thailand’s southern border provinces are calling for the new government of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to use “political determination” to solve economic concerns and advance peace talks in the insurgency-stricken region.

This mainly Malay Muslim and heavily militarized region by the Malaysian border has long grappled with complex insurgency- and economic-related challenges. With Thailand’s new cabinet scheduled to be sworn in this week, citizens, academics and human rights activists are calling for immediate action on both fronts. 

“The most urgent issue that the government needs to address immediately is the economic problem. People here are struggling so much they don’t know what to do anymore,” Ummee Yusoh, 44, who owns a rubber plantation in Pattani province, told BenarNews. Pattani, together with Narathiwat and Yala provinces, as well as four districts in Songkhla province, make up the Thai Deep South.

The Pheu Thai Party, which leads the coalition government, campaigned on ambitious economic policies, including a digital wallet scheme promising a one-time 10,000 baht (U.S. $297) payment to every Thai citizen. The payments have yet to materialize. 

Meanwhile, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) projects Thailand’s GDP growth for 2024 at a modest 2.3% to 2.8%, underlining the economic challenges facing the new administration.

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Recent national statistics paint a mixed picture of Thailand’s post-pandemic economic recovery. 

The director of the National Statistical Office revealed that the unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2024 had decreased to 1%, meaning about 410,000 lacked employment nationwide. While this shows improvement, the situation in the far southern provinces remains challenging. The jobless rate is slightly higher in the southern border region, according to a study published in 2022.

Sae Eiso, 29, a merchant in Yala province, highlighted the dire situation in the border region. 

“Sales are down because people have no money. Recent graduates are unemployed, so they turn to selling goods. Now we have more sellers than buyers,” he told BenarNews. 

The government has announced plans to establish a Thailand Halal Valley, an industrial development dedicated to halal products, with a budget of 1.23 billion baht ($34.5 million). The project aims to position Thailand as ASEAN’s halal food hub by 2027. 

Asmeenudiya Eiso, 32, a vendor in Pattani, said she saw potential in this initiative. 

“More than 80% of people here are Muslim. We already have a halal foundation in animal husbandry, slaughtering and food preparation. We just need some concrete support,” she said.

Fishing and rubber production have been major industries in the region.

Insurgency concerns

Even as economic issues are at the forefront, the ongoing insurgency remains a significant concern. Deep South Watch, a local conflict monitoring group, reported that the region had witnessed over 22,200 violent incidents since 2004, resulting in more than 7,500 deaths and 14,000 injuries. 

Peace talks between the Thai government and separatist groups began 2013 but have made painstakingly slow and small degrees of progress, amid various changes of government.

The current dialogue, which began in 2020, involves direct, Malaysia-brokered negotiations between Thai representatives and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the region’s major separatist group. 

Despite efforts to reach a peaceful agreement, human rights activists report continued actions against local activists. In early 2024, over 30 human rights organizations in the southern border provinces sent an open letter to the United Nations, requesting an investigation into alleged rights violations by Thai authorities. 

The Cross Cultural Foundation reported that since 2017, at least 40 activists in the southern border provinces have been summoned by police to face criminal charges. 

Assistant professor Srisompob Jitpiromsri, director of Deep South Watch, emphasized the importance of clear political commitment from the new government. 

“The new prime minister must clearly declare her political determination to use dialogue to solve the problem,” he told BenarNews.

Earlier this week the king endorsed the 36-member cabinet for Paetongtarn, the new prime minister. Paetongtarn is the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold Thailand’s top political office – her father, Thaksin, and her aunt, Yingluck – were both removed by military coups.

Expectations are high for a fresh approach to the challenges in the Deep South. The government has allocated 5.78 billion baht ($171.8 million) in the 2025 fiscal year budget to address issues in the southern border provinces in an effort to reduce violence and loss of life by 80%. 

The appointment of Chatchai Bangchuad as the first civilian head of the peace dialogue panel in late 2023 was seen as a positive step. 

Still, human rights activist Anchana Heemmina, the president of civil society organization Duay Jai (With Heart), said more needed to be done. 

“The military should play a supporting role in the negotiations, as those with weapons should not lead the talks,” she told BenarNews. 

Nontarat Phaicharoen in Bangkok contributed to this report.