A bomb has exploded in southern Thailand, resulting in the death of one person and injuring at least 18 people.
The incident occurred around 19:00 on Monday night (October 24th) in a noodle shop in Pattani, which is near the border with Malaysia, Agence France-Press reported.
The explosion left one Buddhist woman dead and wounded 18 more, with some of the injuries appearing critical.
Monday’s events took place on the eve of the 12th anniversary of the 2004 Tak Bai incident when army and paramilitary forces broke up an anti-government protest in the area, resulting in the deaths of 85 Muslim men.
They were packed into trucks to the Ingkayut Borihan Military Camp in Pattani province, and died due to crushed organs or suffocation.
Despite the Thaksin Shinawatra government and the military being found responsible for the deaths, no-one has ever been arrested. This has since resulted in deep resentment by Muslims in the predominantly Islamic region of Thailand.
Since violence began in January 2004, more than 6,600 people have died, in spite of the military trying their best to control the revolt.
The attack earlier this week could be part of the animosity in southern Thailand, particularly as the death of the King Bhumibol Adulyadej has left political uncertainty in the country.
Whether your business is in a politically unstable part of the world like southern Thailand or not, it is a good idea to install blast protection window film in your building. This helps limit the damage and injury to civilians if an explosion does occur, as it stops the glass from shattering.