500 billion spent baht, almost 10,000 attacks

This incident is linked to the 21th anniversary of January 4, 2004, incursion into a military base in the district of Cho Airong, Nashiwat province, an event considered as the “beginning” of the current southern insurgency wave.

Budget allocation for conflict resolution

In the last 22 fiscal years (2004–2025), a total of 510,365 billion baht has been spent on addressing southern disturbances. The highest budget allocation was in 2016, reaching 30,5128 billion baht under the government of the National Council of Peace and Order (NCPO).

The NCPO restructured the budget in a new category called “Conflict Resolution Plan of Integrated Border Provinces of the South” in fiscal year 2017. However, the investigations revealed that the funds related to the Southern conflict were also integrated into “others Budget plans “.

A part of the budget has been assigned as “compensation funds” for the victims of the insurgency. As of January 3, 2025, a total of 4,4688 billion baht in compensation has been disbursed.

Impact of conflict

The ongoing disturbances in the border provinces of southern Thailand have resulted in:

• 5,936 deaths (3,644 civilians and 2,292 state officials)
• 13,129 injuries (6,442 civilians and 6,687 state officials)
• 903 cases of permanent disability (465 civilians and 438 state officials)

Compensation for the loss of lives and body damage represents most of the financial aid, for a total of 3,4119 billion baht, while 1,0568 billion Baht have been assigned for compensation for damage to property.

Since the beginning of the conflict, there have been 9,948 violent incidents, which affect a total of 19,968 individuals.

The southern insurgency remains a complex and persistent challenge. Despite the significant government expenditure, violence continues. Addressing the problem requires a deep understanding of the context of the region, the inclusive participation of all interested parties and sustainable solutions to achieve lasting peace.