Yala and Betong

I was traveling alone and spent in Yala few days.
Just for the files it is the only province in the south of Thailand that has not access to the sea nevertheless I ate some wonderful crabs in the classical Thai ”seafood restaurant”.

The city was definitely quite in 2000 but now the situation is not safe at all thanks to the Muslim rebels and thanks to the past politics applied by the government.
I will not travel there nowadays if I were you. The ”south” problem of the country is getting worst day by day.

The Muslim separatist started to attacks patrolling policemen, this quickly escalated to well coordinated attacks on police establishments, with police stations and outposts ambushed by well-armed groups who subsequently flee with stolen arms and ammunition. Banks, schools, monks, monasteries were attacked and innocent people killed.

The Thai government had a strong reaction with a total lack of understanding of local culture. The army responded to insurgent attacks with heavy-handed raids on Muslim villages, which only resulted in reprisals. Insurgents provoked the inexperienced Thai government into disproportionate responses, generating sympathy among the Muslim populace.

Posted on December 15, 2000

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