Malaysians advised to defer non-essential trips to south Thailand

Malaysians have been strongly advised by their own police to put on hold non-essential visits to southern Thailand as bombings, shootings and arson continue to plague the region.

Kelantan state police chief Mohd Yusoff Mamat on Sunday advised Malaysians they need to stay alert to the situation and defer all non-essential trips to the southern Thai region until the situation there stabilises, according to Bernama news agency.

The advice came after coordinated attacks in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat on Saturday night. Narathiwat, which borders Kelantan, was hit hardest with 22 incidents of violence, with 18 in Yala and 11 in Pattani.

No Malaysians were hurt in the attacks, which nonetheless caused Malaysia to beef up border security.

The Malaysian Foreign Ministry has not issued a travel warning for southern Thailand. However, it did issue a statement saying Malaysians are “strongly advised to exercise heightened caution, remain vigilant and strictly observe all safety advisories, curfews and security instructions implemented by local authorities”, the Malaysian news agency reported.