Rail workers thwart attempt to derail trains in Thailand's restive south
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP): Railway workers thwarted an attempt to derail trains on a stretch of track through Thailand's Muslim-dominated and troubled south, a rail official said Wednesday.
Maintenance workers discovered about 80 bolts had been removed from a section of track about four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the Pa Rai train station, in Pattani province's Mae Lan district, said Wiphap Chusong, the station's chief.
The bolts were unscrewed at random and scattered in the middle of the tracks, said Wiphap. They were replaced by the afternoon, causing no interruption to train services.
"They wanted to cause as much harm as possible,'' he said. "They didn't bother to touch the tightly screwed ones at all.''
It was not immediately known who was behind the incident.
The Pa Rai train station was damaged by fire last month, in what police described as an arson attack by suspected Islamic militants.
Thailand's southernmost provinces have seen a sharp rise in violence since January, with more than 60 people killed in hit-and-run attacks by alleged Muslim insurgents.
Muslims in the southern provinces bordering Malaysia have long complained about inadequate treatment by the central government.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was due to arrive at an undisclosed location in the area late Wednesday. He declined to reveal any details about the trip.
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