At least two people were killed and 16 wounded by a series of small bombs in Thailand's rebellious Muslim south today, attacks the government said security forces knew were planned but failed to prevent.
At least 41 bombs exploded at police stations, checkpoints and government offices in the southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala, where more than 1,300 people have been killed in two years of separatist insurgency.
Officials said they expected more attacks. "There will be more small bombs like what we had today as our intelligence reports say more than 200 small bombs were smuggled across the border into the region in the past four or five days," Narathiwat Governor Pracha Taerat said.
Pracha said the bombs, a size of a soda can with a digital wrist watch as a timer, were easily smuggled in the region of 1.8 million people, most of them ethnic Malays who feel more connected to Malaysia than predominantly Buddhist Thailand.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said security forces were aware of plans for attacks to mark the anniversary of the birth of the now-defunct Pattani Sulanate - annexed by Thailand a century ago - but failed to stop them.
"We knew these were going to happen, but the prevention measures weren't working effectively," Thaksin told reporters in his northern home town of Chiang Mai.
"Therefore we have some losses."
Army radio quoted Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana, a former air force chief, as saying the bombs were made in a "neighbouring country in the south", a clear reference to Malaysia, where Bangkok says Malay-speaking separatists hide and plan attacks.