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Gunmen kill five rangers at Narathiwat checkpoint

Five paramilitary rangers were killed and five civilians, including children, were injured when six armed men attacked the Buketa Sami checkpoint in Ra-ngae district, Narathiwat, on 22 July 2026.

The attack began at 6.45pm at the checkpoint in Tan Yong Mat municipality, an area covered by Ranger Company 4509. The assailants fled after firing weapons and throwing pipe bombs, authorities said.

CCTV footage reportedly showed a co-ordinated convoy. A red Honda Wave 110 motorcycle acted as a lead vehicle, followed by a black four-door Nissan pickup carrying six men in black clothing and black wide-brimmed hats in its rear section.

A white Honda Wave motorcycle followed behind as an escort vehicle, according to the report.

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Rangers and nearby residents hurt

The five rangers killed were Sergeant Major Thirayut Somakoet, 43; Ranger Volunteer Wimon Dapthong, 43; Ranger Volunteer Natsit Kaewsena, 34; Ranger Volunteer Solahuding Pi, 34; and Ranger Volunteer Sakiriya Chena, 23.

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Five nearby civilians were also injured in the gunfire and blasts. They were identified as Habib, a boy; Muhammad Ali Abru; Farhah Abru; Muhammad Hafit Hina; and Awatif, a boy.

Officials and local residents took the injured to hospital urgently. The hospital did not give details of their conditions.

Pickup later burned about 30km away

After the attack, the group escaped in the pickup and motorcycles along Route 4055, travelling from Tan Yong Mat towards Dusongyo in Ra-ngae district.

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Pictures courtesy of Amarin

Security forces immediately sealed off the scene and deployed police, soldiers and forensic officers. They were collecting bomb fragments and spent cartridge cases for DNA examination as part of efforts to identify and prosecute those responsible.

Later, the pickup believed to have been used in the attack was found burned in Kalisa subdistrict, Ra-ngae district, near the border with Si Sakhon district. It was on Khao Kanhua, around 30 kilometres from the checkpoint.

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23 July 2026

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ChipButty Star Member

ChipButty

Advanced Member

Sounds to me like they got caught napping,

SOTIRIOS Platinum Member

SOTIRIOS

Advanced Member

...Woefully Disorganized... (?)

...There Must Be A Lot Behind Such A Massacre... (?)

...Will We Ever Know...(?)

unblocktheplanet Star Member

unblocktheplanet

Advanced Member
6 hours ago, SOTIRIOS said:

...Woefully Disorganized... (?)

...There Must Be A Lot Behind Such A Massacre... (?)

...Will We Ever Know...(?)

Massacre? You mean like Tak Bai?

Thai military must leave Patani and let it govern itself as an autonomous state in Thailand. Songkhla, Satun, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.

Keeenok Powell Silver Member

Keeenok Powell

Advanced Member
15 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Massacre? You mean like Tak Bai?

Thai military must leave Patani and let it govern itself as an autonomous state in Thailand. Songkhla, Satun, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.

Yes,cowardly massacre that could involve dead kids.

Geoff914 Gold Member

Geoff914

Advanced Member
19 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

Massacre? You mean like Tak Bai?

Thai military must leave Patani and let it govern itself as an autonomous state in Thailand. Songkhla, Satun, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.

Do you think it would actually stop the violence? Why Satun and Songkhla? Were they ever disputed provinces?

BayArea Silver Member

BayArea

Advanced Member
(edited)
2 hours ago, Geoff914 said:

Do you think it would actually stop the violence? Why Satun and Songkhla? Were they ever disputed provinces?

No they were not, but I assumed the OP meant since all 5 provinces are predominantly Malay and Muslim as well.

regarding the violence, I think it would help immensely in stopping the conflict. the 3 provinces can join the Malaysian state where their culture and religion are the same.

The residents in those said areas are not Buddhists nor culturally Thai and will never be.

But it won't happen because Thailand will never give up those 3 provinces which they deemed as theirs's and part of their sovereignty.

over 20k people have died in the last 30 years and most of the world are unaware of the turmoil down south. most tourists and even expats are clueless of the situation.

Edited by BayArea

Geoff914 Gold Member

Geoff914

Advanced Member
8 minutes ago, BayArea said:

No they were not, but I assumed the OP meant since all 5 provinces are predominantly Malay and Muslim as well.

regarding the violence, I think it would help immensely in stopping the conflict. the 3 provinces can join the Malaysian state where their culture and religion are the same.

The residents in those said areas are not Buddhists nor culturally Thai and will never be.

But it won't happen because Thailand will never give up those 3 provinces which they deemed as theirs's and part of their sovereignty.

over 20k people have died in the last 30 years and most of the world are unaware of the turmoil down south. most tourists and even expats are clueless of the situation.

Has anybody asked Malaysia if they want them? Is Satun and Songkhla predominantly muslim?

"In 1897 Satun became part of Monthon Syburi (now Kedah), which in 1909 was divided between British Empire and Siam as part of Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909. While most of Kedah was ceded to Britain, Satun was awarded to Siam because it had a relatively large Thai population."

"The ethnic makeup of Songkhla primarily consists of the Thai ethnic group, which makes up about 91.5% of the population." What is predominantly muslim Malay about 91.5% being Thai." Well may be Thai Muslims but is that any reason to give Songklha to Malaysia. I assume back in 1909 the ratios would have been different.

BayArea Silver Member

BayArea

Advanced Member
12 minutes ago, Geoff914 said:

Has anybody asked Malaysia if they want them? Is Satun and Songkhla predominantly muslim?

"In 1897 Satun became part of Monthon Syburi (now Kedah), which in 1909 was divided between British Empire and Siam as part of Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909. While most of Kedah was ceded to Britain, Satun was awarded to Siam because it had a relatively large Thai population."

"The ethnic makeup of Songkhla primarily consists of the Thai ethnic group, which makes up about 91.5% of the population." What is predominantly muslim Malay about 91.5% being Thai." Well may be Thai Muslims but is that any reason to give Songklha to Malaysia. I assume back in 1909 the ratios would have been different.

thx for the clarification. as I posted, the OP assumed all 5 provinces were the same in religious and cultural background.

as I mentioned, the 3 provinces, not 5 could join Malaysia. just for debate sake, I think Malaysia would gladly take those 3 provinces in to enhance their world status as a desired country as well as increase their Muslim and Malay population since they only account for 57% of the Malaysian state.

unblocktheplanet Star Member

unblocktheplanet

Advanced Member
11 hours ago, Keeenok Powell said:

Maniacs and they will never ever stop just the same as Palestine.

Sometimes I think Thailand would be better off just giving them the 3 provinces down there.

These rangers were just peacefully doing their job.All looked just ordinary blokes.

The world is without a doubt a sxxttier place now and there seems to be only one common denominator .

Exactly what I am proposing: Patani Autonomous Region. Oblast, if you prefer.

unblocktheplanet Star Member

unblocktheplanet

Advanced Member
4 hours ago, Geoff914 said:

Do you think it would actually stop the violence? Why Satun and Songkhla? Were they ever disputed provinces?

Both have majority support for Patani as a unified state even though they were not in the region that was split apart.

unblocktheplanet Star Member

unblocktheplanet

Advanced Member
2 hours ago, BayArea said:

No they were not, but I assumed the OP meant since all 5 provinces are predominantly Malay and Muslim as well.

regarding the violence, I think it would help immensely in stopping the conflict. the 3 provinces can join the Malaysian state where their culture and religion are the same.

The residents in those said areas are not Buddhists nor culturally Thai and will never be.

TravelGuides & Travelogues

But it won't happen because Thailand will never give up those 3 provinces which they deemed as theirs's and part of their sovereignty.

over 20k people have died in the last 30 years and most of the world are unaware of the turmoil down south. most tourists and even expats are clueless of the situation.

I certainly don't advocate joining Malaysia just because they are majority Muslim. Every Muslim I've talked to in Thailand about this issue, including in the Southern provinces, feel they are Thai first, Muslim second.

To wit, no wats or monks have been attacked. It appears those provinces are tolerant of Buddhist culture as a minority.

We are not talking about a theocrazy.

BayArea Silver Member

BayArea

Advanced Member
10 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

I certainly don't advocate joining Malaysia just because they are majority Muslim. Every Muslim I've talked to in Thailand about this issue, including in the Southern provinces, feel they are Thai first, Muslim second.

that's quite interesting. I would like to see a survey taken on this topic.

Keeenok Powell Silver Member

Keeenok Powell

Advanced Member
6 hours ago, BayArea said:

No they were not, but I assumed the OP meant since all 5 provinces are predominantly Malay and Muslim as well.

regarding the violence, I think it would help immensely in stopping the conflict. the 3 provinces can join the Malaysian state where their culture and religion are the same.

The residents in those said areas are not Buddhists nor culturally Thai and will never be.

But it won't happen because Thailand will never give up those 3 provinces which they deemed as theirs's and part of their sovereignty.

over 20k people have died in the last 30 years and most of the world are unaware of the turmoil down south. most tourists and even expats are clueless of the situation.

I agree,although there are many Buddhists ,20% roughly.Those 3 provinces are like a different country.They play their own national anthem and the ladies dress accordingly.

The death cult that these people follow will never cease.

Give them up Thailand.

Keeenok Powell Silver Member

Keeenok Powell

Advanced Member
4 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

I certainly don't advocate joining Malaysia just because they are majority Muslim. Every Muslim I've talked to in Thailand about this issue, including in the Southern provinces, feel they are Thai first, Muslim second.

GeographicReference

To wit, no wats or monks have been attacked. It appears those provinces are tolerant of Buddhist culture as a minority.

We are not talking about a theocrazy.

If that is true,that makes South East Asian Muslims different to the rest of their faith who are Muslim first.

SiSePuede419 Ruby Member

SiSePuede419

Advanced Member

A Mayalsian dude once told me I would like Mayalsa because driving there is much more civilized than Thailand. I laughed.

Besides nice orderly roads what does Mayalsa offer that Thailand doesn't?

The silence was gloriously deafening.

You could hear a pin drop. 😄

unblocktheplanet Star Member

unblocktheplanet

Advanced Member
6 hours ago, Keeenok Powell said:

I agree,although there are many Buddhists ,20% roughly.Those 3 provinces are like a different country.They play their own national anthem and the ladies dress accordingly.

The death cult that these people follow will never cease.

Give them up Thailand.

You're contradicting yourself. First you say, it's like a different country, then you call them a death cult!

BayArea Silver Member

BayArea

Advanced Member
17 hours ago, Keeenok Powell said:

If that is true,that makes South East Asian Muslims different to the rest of their faith who are Muslim first.

Malaysia’s Constitutional Definition of “Malay” and the Muslim Requirement

Under Article 160 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, a “Malay” is defined as a person who:

  • Professes the religion of Islam

  • Habitually speaks the Malay language

  • Conforms to Malay customs

This may be the case for Malay Muslims in southern Thailand, but it is quite different for Malays in Malaysia.

Patong2021 Diamond Member

Patong2021

Advanced Member
On 7/23/2026 at 8:24 AM, unblocktheplanet said:

Massacre? You mean like Tak Bai?

Thai military must leave Patani and let it govern itself as an autonomous state in Thailand. Songkhla, Satun, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.

How about, you leave Thailand and allow Thailand to rule itself. You are constantly lecturing us about international law and the rule of law, so why don't you follow your own moralizing edicts. The borders are already established and recognized. They are incontestable. Malaysia has made no claim to the area andrecognizes Thailand's control and sovereignty of the region and accepts the Anglo-Siamese treaty of 1909. That same agreement s what transferred control of a large chunk of the region held and/or claimed by Thailand, at that time, to present day Malaysia. The old Sultanate does not exist and has no continuing legal legacy that continues. A small group of violent thugs is trying to force its political positions on the population who do not want to be ruled by an Islamic dictatorship. There is no popular support for an Islamic state in the south of Thailand.

bendejo Diamond Member

bendejo

Advanced Member

I spent a lot of time in Malaysia in the '00 decade.

A new PM came in (after decades!) and talked of "Islam Hadari" (modern Islam), a lead balloon that after a few months was never mentioned again -- can you imagine The Pope declaring a thing could bring about, say, Catholic priests being allowed to marry? If nothing else, it seemed to give a boost to the fundamentalist political party.

In the press, if you read the details of articles you may come across the existence of private armies with a nationalist/religious bent, but such never makes the headlines. Soldiers are salaried employees. They seemed to be stationed in the Malaysian states along the east coast near to the Thai border.

One thing Malaysia has that LOS does not is an (officially) multi-tiered legal system.

tioman_liquor_sharia.jpg

As a cab driver who worked the Sadao border told me: the good thing about the Thai LE is they just want the money and then they go away. Malay cops will kick your ass, they love doing choke-holds, just for the fun of it.

Patong2021 Diamond Member

Patong2021

Advanced Member
18 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

A Mayalsian dude once told me I would like Mayalsa because driving there is much more civilized than Thailand. I laughed.

Besides nice orderly roads what does Mayalsa offer that Thailand doesn't?

The silence was gloriously deafening.

You could hear a pin drop. 😄

Malyasians as a whole are better educated and more advanced than Thais. This is reflected by Malaysia's lower rate of poverty (40% lower) and higher GNI (70% higher).

Malaysia also offers delicious food.

Patong2021 Diamond Member

Patong2021

Advanced Member
On 7/23/2026 at 8:44 AM, Keeenok Powell said:

Yes,cowardly massacre that could involve dead kids.

Dead muslim kids. I think you should organize a protest. Maybe Greta can organize a freedom flotilla.

BayArea Silver Member

BayArea

Advanced Member
29 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

Malyasians as a whole are better educated and more advanced than Thais. This is reflected by Malaysia's lower rate of poverty (40% lower) and higher GNI (70% higher).

Malaysia also offers delicious food.

just curious, are we talking about ethnic Malay in particular or we including Indians and Chinese too when discussing " Malaysian" education?

Patong2021 Diamond Member

Patong2021

Advanced Member
2 hours ago, BayArea said:

just curious, are we talking about ethnic Malay in particular or we including Indians and Chinese too when discussing " Malaysian" education?

I was referring to the nation as a whole and not ethnic groups. The standard practice when comparing countries, is to use the national data.

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