KOTA BHARU, Aug 23 — Kelantan Police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said there is no report of Malaysians being affected by a series of simultaneous violent incidents in three provinces in southern Thailand last night.

“Malaysians are urged to exercise caution and postpone travel to the affected areas, especially if there is no urgent need to go there, in view of the latest security developments,” he told a press conference here today.

He said the advice was not new and had been conveyed several times to Malaysians planning to travel to southern Thailand.

Mohd Yusoff said the same advice had also been given to a group of high-powered motorcycle riders from Ducati Malaysia who are in Kelantan and plan to enter Thailand today, including Hat Yai.

“I advised them not to enter Hat Yai as there were 51 incidents in three provinces in southern Thailand last night,” he said.

He said Malaysians who need to travel to the neighbouring country should take the current security situation into consideration and remain vigilant throughout their stay there.

He added that the advice was in line with that of the Foreign Ministry, which does not bar Malaysians from travelling to Thailand but urges them to take the necessary precautions.

Thailand’s Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 (ISOC 4), in a statement, said the authorities would continue monitoring the situation by directing all units to expedite investigations and strengthen security measures to protect the public and restore normalcy as soon as possible.

Earlier, Narathiwat was placed under a curfew from 10.15 pm on Aug 22 until 5 am on Aug 23.

More than 50 incidents, including bombings, the burning of local government offices and tyre burnings, were reported across the three provinces.

Thunder-like booming sounds from the direction of Narathiwat, southern Thailand, caused houses in Kampung Lubok Gong and Kampung Tersang in Rantau Panjang, near the Malaysia-Thailand border, to shake last night, sparking concern among residents.

Meanwhile, Mohd Yusoff said police had also received information that the Thai authorities were stepping up traffic enforcement operations, including against Malaysian vehicles that fail to comply with the country’s regulations.

He advised Malaysians driving in Thailand to comply with traffic regulations to avoid being penalised by the Thai authorities. — Bernama