Tight security provided for teachers, students in Thai deep South

BANGKOK, May 15 (TNA) - The Royal Thai Army has deployed over 5,000 soldiers to protect teachers and students in the country's insurgency-plagued far South, where schools have now opened for the new semester, like those in all other Thai regions. Thai Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha confirmed Wednesday that over 5,000 troops have stationed at about 400 schools in the Thai deep South to protect local teachers and students, acknowledging, however, that obstacles come from the teachers and students who have uncertain travel routes and times and believe that they can travel alone, even though they become easy victims of attacks. Meanwhile, authorities responsible for solutions in the troubled southern border region held a meeting on Tuesday to review development and security plans to be in accordance with the National Security Council (NSC)'s strategies, at which the army chief insisted that solutions in the southernmost Thai region are to be based on peaceful security and development operations and increased activities of local authorities concerned. (TNA)