Reports by Ronald Xie

People often ask why with budget airlines making travel so inexpensive I still plan on making a bike trip to Thailand. They say the journey may be physically demanding at my age (56) and dangerous as I would ride from Tumpat, Kelantan Malaysia right into the three hot spots in southern Thailand.

The southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani have been terrorized by regular attacks since early 2004, when a separatist movement flared after a lull of more than two decades.

Attacks generally take the form of drive-by shootings and small-scale bombings intended to frighten Buddhist residents into leaving the area. Suspected insurgents mainly target people seen as collaborating with the government, including soldiers, police, informants and civilians.