Narathiwat: A pickup truck exploded near the control tower at Narathiwat Airport just 50 minutes before former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was set to land at Ban Thon Airport. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
According to Thai News Agency, the explosion occurred at approximately 8:35 a.m. and involved a pickup truck belonging to a firefighter. The blast caused the vehicle's taillights to fall out and resulted in a liquid leak. In light of the incident, officers removed some unrelated vehicles from the airport for safety reasons and relevant departments were notified to conduct a thorough inspection.
Inside Narathiwat Airport, several high-ranking officials, including Mr. Wan Muhammad Noor Matha, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Pol. Lt. Col. Wanpong Kotcharak, Secretary-General of the Local Administration Organization, were present. Despite the explosion, there was no disruption to the schedule, and cars were permitted to park outside the airport for safety purposes.
Thaksin Shinawatra, visiting the region in his capacity as Advisor to the ASEAN Chairman, was accompanied by Mr. Phumtham Vejjayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and Pol. Col. Thawee Sodsong, Minister of Justice. It marked Thaksin's first visit to the southern border provinces in nearly 20 years, coinciding with the unrest in the area that began in 2004 during his tenure as Prime Minister.
Thaksin's itinerary included a departure by police helicopter at 10:00 a.m. from Narathiwat Airport to the Su-ngai Padi Subdistrict Administrative Organization Stadium. He was scheduled to pay respect to Phra Thammachachariyachan, the abbot of Wat Prachum Cholthara, and meet with local and religious leaders to discuss area development.
The delegation's schedule also included a visit to Samphan Wittaya School in Narathiwat Province, where they planned to meet with school administrators and local leaders, followed by a trip to Sai Buri Islam Wittaya School in Pattani Province. The visit aimed to engage with religious leaders and school administrators before traveling to Yala Province for activities at TK Park and discussions with Mr. Wan Muhammad Noor Matha on the development of the southern border provinces. The group was then expected to return to Bangkok.