Army chief visits Thai deep South

BANGKOK, May 22 (TNA) - Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha is visiting the Thai far South on Wednesday to follow up the situation and security solutions to violent incidents in the Thai deep South. Accompanied by General Yutthasak Sasiprapa, an adviser to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, General Prayuth arrived in the Sirindhorn military camp in Yarang district of Pattani province on Wednesday morning. General Prayuth told reporters that, apart from following up the situation and security solutions in the troubled southern border Thai region, particularly those in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, he instructed authorities concerned to protect local people’s lives and property, as well as to ensure security of roads. The army chief said that he also ordered inquiries from concerned provincial governors and local people to compile lists of danger-prone roads in their respective areas to work out plans to protect Buddhist and Muslim educational personnel and parents. According to the army commander-in-chief, terrorism had nothing to do with Tuesday night's blackout in 14 southern Thai provinces but all concerned parties are to take a lesson from the incident to prevent it from recurring. (TNA)