Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, during his inspection of the deep South on 17 April 2026, stressed the Government’s policy of adopting King Rama IX’s royal advice to “understand, reach out, and develop” for peacebuilding in the southern border provinces.

The Prime Minister attended a meeting with governors of the five southern border provinces at the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center in Yala Province to provide policy directions on the resolving of problems in the deep South.

The royal advice to understand, reach out, and develop was spelled out by King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great in February 2004, after the southern unrest had erupted the month before, in January. It is meant to encourage responsible officials to seek a better understanding about the problems, then to win the hearts of local people, and carry out development for them by taking account of the local environment in terms of physical, sociological, and cultural conditions.

The Prime Minister stated that the royal advice, which is the central strategy to tackle unrest in the southern border provinces, must be carried out together with efforts to develop the local people’s quality of life, bringing about peace, happiness, and economic progress.

On the same day, the Prime Minister proceeded to Pattani Province to chair a meeting at the Fourth Army Area Command’s Internal Security Operations Command, Forward, in order to follow up on the security situation in the deep South. At the meeting, he approved construction of border fences in Tak Bai and Waeng districts in Narathiwat Province in order to prevent smuggling, improve the efficiency of arresting wrongdoers, reduce the frequency of violent incidents, and create confidence among local residents. The Government will use the central fund of 2026 to support the first phase of the construction project.

The Prime Minister urged local officials, communities, and religious leaders to work closely together for drug prevention and control, especially the spread of narcotics among young people. More importantly, government officials at all levels must not be involved in drug trafficking. Strict legal action and disciplinary punishment will be taken against violators.  

He also asked the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Center to work with relevant agencies in formulating plans on renewable energy and energy saving, as well as pushing for the introduction of clean energy and appropriate alternative energy, such as community solar cells and biomass, in order to build energy security for the people.