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A surge in attacks across Thailand's south has put a spotlight on the low-level insurgency that has killed thousands of people in the last two decades.Dozens of co-ordinated night-time attacks across the three southernmost provinces near Malaysia over the weekend injured three people and left government buildings and vehicles burned.They were followed on Monday by an explosion at a convenience store.These are the latest incidents of incendiary attacks in the long-running conflict in Thailand's far south.The current unrest began in January 2004 when militants raided an army base in Narathiwat province, killing several soldiers and stealing weapons.In October that year security forces opened fire on protesters outside a police station in the town of Tak Bai, in Narathiwat, killing seven.Following the shooting 78 people suffocated after they were arrested and stacked on top of each other in the back of Thai military trucks — a deadly crackdown widely seen as a trigger for the southern unrest.Since 2004 around 7,000 people have been killed in the simmering conflict, according to monitor Deep South Watch.In July assailants killed five soldiers in a shooting and bomb attack at a checkpoint. Six civilians were wounded.The Thai government warned at the time of a series of violent incidents in the past two to three months that it blamed on a "terrorist network seeking to instil fear among the public and target state officials".Former Thai MP and human rights advocate Kannavee Suebsang told AFP there was "an increase in the co-ordination and visibility of the attacks this year".But Matthew Wheeler, International Crisis Group's senior analyst for Southeast Asia, said it was "business as usual".Dozens of people are killed every year, with fatalities peaking at more than 200 annually in 2005-2007, figures from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program showed.Last Saturday night's attacks were "remarkable only in their scale", which attracted media attention, Wheeler said in an e-mail."These kinds of attacks have taken place weekly, if not daily, for more than two decades," he said.Thailand first held peace talks in 2013 under Malaysian mediation, with the latest round held in December.But negotiations have stalled repeatedly.Thailand's head negotiator, Thanat Suwannanon, told local media this week the attacks may be intended to gain the upper hand in the next round of talks.Thanat, who is also National Intelligence Agency director, said insurgents were also testing the readiness of security forces."They focus on symbolic attacks like burning buildings and vehicles of local government offices," he said.Thailand has reinforced its military presence in the south and Malaysia has also boosted security on the border.The Thai government is "using the security apparatus to solve the problem", the rights advocate Kannavee said."But in fact this is a political problem."Participation of local people, including landowners and community representatives, in the peace dialogue was crucial to making the process productive, Kannavee added.The Thai negotiator Thanat said talks were expected to be held in late October, after discussions scheduled for September were postponed following the soldiers' deaths. 

* Thitikul grabs lead with sizzling 64 at Royal Lytham* South Korea's Ryu posts five-under 66 in breezy opening round* American Noh sits one shot further back after first-round 67* World number one Korda opens with disappointing two-over ‌73   Thailand's Atthaya 'Jeeno' Thitikul blazed to a seven-under 64 ​opening round at the ‌Women's British Open on Thursday to snatch the lead from South Korean ‌favourite Ryu Hae-ran.Thitikul ⁠took full advantage ‌of calm late conditions to post ‌the best round of the day on the Royal Lytham links and move into ⁠a two-shot lead.Seven birdies in a flawless round gave the world number two the perfect start as the 23-year-old seeks to shed the tag of the best female player never to win a major.Hours before, Ryu began her hunt for a third successive major with a five-under 66 to grab the clubhouse lead.She was later joined on five under by Japan's Shiho Kuwaki with American Yealimi Noh ​and France's Celine Boutier a further shot back after rounds of 67.World number one Nelly Korda, who like Ryu has won two majors this season, struggled to a two-over 73, never ‌sustaining a recovery from two bogeys ⁠in her opening ​three holes.Ryu won the PGA Championship and became the first golfer to ​shoot a round of 60 at a major to claim the Evian title this month and looked full of confidence.She got off to the perfect start with a birdie on the par-three first and gained further shots at the fourth, sixth and seventh with her accurate iron play setting up opportunities.A bogey at the 15th was her only blemish but she responded by holing an 18-foot putt for birdie at the 16th before another birdie at the last."This type of golf course it is hard to make par if you go ‌in the fairway bunkers and today ‌I hit a couple of ⁠times in the bunkers but made some pretty good saves," she told reporters."Hopefully, tomorrow ⁠I'll stay in the fairway." A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMBAmerican Korda ⁠has already given herself a mountain to climb but England's world number five Lottie Woad put herself in the mix with a solid opening two-under 69, featuring no bogeys.Woad, who along with Charley Hull will be fancied to become the first English winner since Georgia Hall at Lytham in 2018, was frustrated as an eagle putt lipped out ​on the sixth and a birdie putt suffered the same fate at the seventh.Despite missing a few putts, however, Woad was happy with her start, especially as she avoided any bunkers."A good start. No bogeys, which is always a good round here. Hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens. Didn't make too many putts but definitely take two under."Hull put together a very different round of 69 with four bogeys and six birdies.New Zealand's Lydia Ko, winner of the title in ‌2024, carded a level-par ​first round while defending champion Miyu Yamashita had to settle for a one-over 72. 

Denmark's Anders Antonsen won the badminton men's singles final of the Thailand Open on Sunday, getting his revenge against homegrown Kunlavut Vitidsarn who defeated the Dane last year. World-ranked No. 3 Antonsen won 9-21, 24-22, 21-18 in 1 hour 37 minutes in Bangkok on Sunday. The 29-year-old Dane entered the finals after a walkover win in the semi-finals when world No. 1 Shi Yuqi of China withdrew. Shi exited the Malaysia Open early in January due to a back injury. Antonsen admitted he got a "little bit lucky" with Shi pulling out, calling the Chinese athlete "a very difficult opponent". But the noise of the Bangkok crowd and trying to find his grip powder in his bag during the final match had hurt Antonsen's focus. "My mind was everywhere else but on the match. But suddenly I was leading 5-0 and I was like, 'oh wow, OK, I have a chance now,'" he said. World No. 2 Kunlavut, 25, won last year's Thailand Open, beating Antonsen in the final. "To get the win this year feels incredible," Antonsen said. Kunlavut called it a "very tough match", adding that Antonsen had "come to attack first" and his height allowed him to "control anything in the court". In the women's singles final, world-ranked No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi of Japan defeated China's Chen Yufei, who is ranked fourth. Yamaguchi won 21-14, 21-18 in 39 minutes. "This year I did not make another final so this result is very important for me," she said after her victory. "As the game progressed, I felt that Chen Yufei was attacking more so rather than being nervous, I tried to stay calm and play my own game," Yamaguchi said, adding she was "happy to play a good, attacking game". In the women's doubles final, China's Bao Lijing and Cao Zihan came out on top over Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi of Japan. Indonesians Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin triumphed in the men's doubles over Indians Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty after back-and-forth match points. In mixed doubles, Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje of Denmark beat China's Zhu Yijun and Li Qian 21-17, 21-15.

The director-general of the Protocol Department in the Thai ministry of foreign affairs, Chakkrid Krachaiwong, has received a copy of the credentials of Qatar’s ambassador to Thailand, Abdulaziz bin Mohamed al-Sada. 

Thailand and Cambodia signed a ceasefire agreement, following three days of talks after violent confrontations between the two bordering countries.The Cambodian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the ceasefire includes all kinds of weapons, civilian and military targets on both sides.The two countries announced Wednesday that military officials from both sides began talks after the conflict killed at least 86 people. 

Seven civilians were killed and at least 20 others were injured on Tuesday after Thai artillery shelling struck Cambodian territory, as violence continued to escalate along the border between the two countries.Spokesperson for Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense, Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata, said the shelling targeted areas inside Cambodia, resulting in the deaths of at least seven civilians and injuries to 20 others.She described the attacks as "inhumane and brutal," saying they constituted a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement and the joint declaration signed by the prime ministers of both countries on October 26 under the auspices of US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).In Bangkok, the Thai military announced the deaths of two soldiers in border clashes with Cambodia, bringing the total number of Thai military fatalities to three since fighting resumed on Sunday."A total of three soldiers have been killed, one on December 8 and two on December 9," the military said in a statement, adding that Thailand would take steps to expel Cambodian forces from the Thai territory.Thailand and Cambodia have long disputed sovereignty over several areas along their shared 817-kilometer land border, a dispute that dates back more than a century. Armed clashes have occurred intermittently, with the most serious confrontation being a week-long exchange of artillery fire in 2011.Tensions escalated again last May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish, prompting both sides to significantly reinforce their border deployments. The situation later deteriorated into full-scale armed clashes following the collapse of diplomatic efforts.

A lion kept at a private home in Thailand got loose and attacked a young boy, leaving him in hospital, the wildlife department said Sunday.The lion attacked the child, who was hospitalised with unspecified injuries, while he was walking on a public road Saturday night in western Kanchanaburi province, about a two-hour drive from the capital Bangkok, the department said in a statement.Local media said the boy was on his way home from playing with other children when the big cat pounced on him.Lion ownership is legal in Thailand, where the captive population has exploded in recent years, with nearly 500 registered in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes.But experts have warned the trend endangers animals and humans, and likely fuels illicit trade domestically and abroad.The lion's owner, who the wildlife department identified only as Parinya, was charged with violating wildlife protection laws, and faces up to six months in prison and a 50,000 baht ($1,500) fine if convicted.The lion was seized by authorities, the department said, adding that a wildlife breeding centre had prepared a new home for it.Parinya told local TV he was "shocked" when he learned of the attack, saying the female lion got loose after it was removed from its cage while it was being renovated."I apologise for what happened, it was an accident," he said, adding that he will pay compensation and for the boy's medical treatment.In its statement, the wildlife department urged people who "keep wild animals to be aware of the potential dangers, as all animals have a ferocious instinct"."Any unforeseen incident that affects the life and property of others will be punished and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," it added.Since 2022, Thai law has required owners to register and microchip lions, and inform authorities before moving them, but there are few enclosure or welfare requirements.Last month, a zookeeper was mauled to death by several lions at a safari park on the outskirts of Bangkok, raising scrutiny of the facility, which offers lion- and tiger-feeding trips for about $40 per person.

The Thai embassy in Doha, in collaboration with Qatar Museums (QM), is set to open a week-long exhibition, titled “Thailand’s Innovative Upcycling for Everyday Life” at M7 Gallery Monday.The exhibition, which runs until September 14, aims to showcase Thailand’s expertise and best practices of circular economy with Qatar by highlighting Thailand’s successful journey.It demonstrates how science and creativity can offer tangible, scalable alternatives to unsustainable consumption, making the circular economy part of daily life.According to the embassy, the exhibition will also showcase to local researchers, designers, public servants, and the general public that wastes can be turned into usable items and encourage recycling/upcycling for a truly circular economy.Building on Thailand’s participation at the Earthna Summit 2025, this exhibition will underline Thailand’s human-centred approach to sustainability integrating modern technology, local wisdom, and environmental responsibility to promote inclusive, practical, and enduring development.Featured exhibits will include sustainable products made from recycled plastic, agricultural by-products, marine debris, and industrial waste, ranging from eco-textiles and biodegradable packaging to artisanal homeware and lifestyle items.The exhibition is open to the public.