Uneasy Calm in Narathiwat as Curfew Lifted After Petrol Attacks

A sense of uneasy calm has settled over Narathiwat after a lightning-fast cycle of violence, lockdown and rollback. Less than 48 hours after militants torched five petrol stations and triggered midnight blasts, authorities that had rushed to impose a night-time curfew quietly lifted the order, leaving residents to weigh relief against lingering fear.

Key takeaways before you scroll further

• Five coordinated attacks on petrol stations sparked fires and panic just after 01:00.

• A province-wide 21:00-05:00 curfew was announced, then revoked the very next morning.

• Officials insist the brief lockdown helped “stabilise” the situation; critics say it exposed deep economic and security fault lines.

• Petrol stations remain on a high-risk list after similar strikes in 2022 and 2025.

• Rubber tappers, border traders and late-night prayers were the most affected groups over the 12-hour freeze.

From midnight flames to a dawn lockdown

Witnesses in Cho-Ai-Rong and four neighbouring districts describe the same choreography: motorcycles roaring in, a handful of masked riders hurling petrol bombs, then a small homemade device blowing up a dispenser. Flames leapt across forecourts within seconds, mirroring attacks Yala and Pattani endured in August 2022 and again in January 2025.

Security camera footage reviewed by the Narathiwat Task Force shows at least 20 suspects operating in teams of four or five. Investigators say the choice of petrol stations was deliberate: the sites are poorly lit, symbolically economic and close to main highways leading to the Thai–Malaysia border.

One night of martial law on the ground

By mid-morning, provincial commanders invoked the decades-old Martial Law Act (1914), layering a curfew atop the already existing emergency decree. Checkpoints mushroomed along Route 42, soldiers scanned phones for suspicious chatter, and anyone needing to move after dark—particularly rubber farmers who tap at dawn—had to queue for handwritten passes.

Cancellation came just as abruptly. At 09:00 the following day, loudspeakers in Bang Nara announced that “normal routines may resume”. Officials credited rapid sweeps of 10,000 homes and the seizure of 30 kg of explosive precursor chemicals for the quick rollback.

Why petrol stations keep getting hit

Analysts at the Deep South Watch think fuel forecourts offer three advantages to insurgents: they are symbolic of state-linked commerce, they sit at choke points on rural roads and they erupt into spectacular fireballs that dominate social media feeds. A timeline of major incidents shows:

August 2022 – Eleven stations scorched across the tri-province region.

January 2025 – Simultaneous blasts at 11 PTT outlets.

January 2026 – The latest five-site strike, smaller in number but executed with greater precision.

Each wave, experts argue, undermines the narrative that security is improving, especially after Bangkok touted a 20 % fall in overall incidents last year.

Economic ripple: rubber trees to border trade

Narathiwat’s night economy is modest yet crucial. Rubber latex prices are set before dawn, so a single lost tapping cycle costs pickers roughly ฿140 M in aggregate income, according to the provincial Chamber of Commerce. Cross-border stalls at the Sungai Kolok checkpoint also stand idle when night transport lorries miss the gates.

Tourism had only just inched back from pandemic lows. Hoteliers report a spike in cancellations from Malaysian families who drive north for weekend seafood feasts. “One flare and they think the whole province is burning,” a resort manager in Tak Bai sighed.

Security vs livelihoods: expert voices

Security scholar Dr. Kriangsak Teerarat warns that rolling out and rolling back harsh measures within 24 hours can “whip-saw public trust”. While the army hails deterrence, civil-society groups cite disrupted worship; evening Isha prayers at village mosques were sparsely attended because congregants feared being flagged for curfew violation.

Local business leader Noorhayati Isma-ae presses for smarter tactics: “Floodlights and CCTV grants for stations cost less than shutting an entire province,” she told the Bangkok Tribune.

What residents can do now

Authorities advise anyone spotting unusual activity near fuel depots to call the 1341 security hotline. Petrol operators are urged to install remote-trigger sprinklers, while motorists should avoid parking near dispensers after midnight. Above all, provincial officials repeat that the absence of a formal curfew “does not mean vigilance can sleep.”

For a region where everyday life often teeters between quick prosperity and sudden lockdown, last week’s events offered a stark reminder: peace in the Deep South remains fragile, flickering and fiercely contested.