SRT closes Narathiwat rail section after blast damage
Train services between Maruebo and Tanyong Mat were halted after two sleepers were damaged, as three more blasts hit Pattani and Narathiwat.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) temporarily closed the line between Maruebo and Tanyong Mat stations in Narathiwat on Sunday morning after blast damage was found on the railway following overnight unrest in the southern border provinces.
The closure was announced at 9.48am on Sunday (August 23, 2026), after security and railway engineering personnel discovered damage to concrete sleepers.
A railway patrol found signs of an explosion at Ban Maruebo, Moo 1, Maruebo Tok subdistrict in Ra-ngae district. A subsequent drone inspection showed that two concrete sleepers had been damaged.
The discovery followed 51 violent incidents reported across Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat on Saturday night. Further explosions were reported in Pattani and Narathiwat on Sunday morning, although no injuries were recorded.
EOD teams inspect damaged railway
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers and security forces were jointly searching the railway area to ensure it was safe.
SRT engineers were due to enter the site only after the security inspection had been completed. The railway authority said repairs would be carried out as quickly as possible to allow normal services to resume.
No timetable for reopening the affected section was given.
Three more explosions reported on Sunday
Separate reports said three further explosions occurred in Pattani and Narathiwat between 8.30am and 9.55am on Sunday:
At about 8.30am, an explosion occurred near the Sai Nok three-way junction in Moo 3, Bang Pu subdistrict of Yaring district, Pattani, on a road leading to a mosque. No injuries were reported.
At about 9.50am, an explosion was reported at Ban Chue Rae, Moo 1, Riko subdistrict of Su-ngai Padi district, Narathiwat. No one was injured.
At about 9.55am, another explosion occurred near an electricity pole beside Route 4056 at Ban Khuan, Moo 6, Su-ngai Padi subdistrict in the same district. No injuries were reported.
The incidents came after the series of attacks at 51 locations across the three southern border provinces on Saturday night.
Passengers advised to check services
The Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) Region 4 Forward Command urged passengers using the affected route to confirm the latest train-service information with the SRT before leaving for their journey.
Passengers can contact the SRT hotline on 1690 and were advised to monitor official announcements closely.
Members of the public who find suspicious objects or have information about those responsible for violent incidents can contact the ISOC Region 4 Forward Command hotline on 1341, which operates 24 hours a day.
