‘Lone wolf’ terrorists are a worrying trend, says NSC chief

NSC secretary-general General Supot Malaniyom said that many other security-related agencies also shared the same concern.

“Terrorist attacks have become more varied these days. What’s worrying is the tendency of attacks by terrorists who act alone,” Supot said.

He noted that terrorist attacks were often committed by people with extreme ideologies and those who believe in the use of violence.

“We should help restrain extremism in our country that could motivate terrorist attacks,” Supot said. The NSC chief also said that relevant authorities were attempting to intercept funding for terrorists by proposing new legislation.

He was speaking in his opening speech at a meeting on the national security plan for 2023-2027. General Supot pointed out that Thailand’s big challenge regarding national security involved the need to take into account the global security context.

“World superpowers try to seek cooperation [from Thailand]. I don’t want to use the word ‘interfere’. This is just natural. We have to protect our stability and keep a minimum impact on the public, in such cases as the South China Sea and the Mekong River,” he said.

The NSC chief also pointed to certain security “hot spots” in this part of the world, including Taiwan, Myanmar, and the Korean Peninsula.

Regarding Thai border areas, he said the country has avoided any actions that could worsen its existing conflicts with the neighbouring countries. He noted that Thailand has border committees with its neighbours – comprising soldiers and civilians – that have helped to prevent severe border conflicts from erupting for over three decades.

He called for cooperation from all elements of society to help ensure the success of the country’s security policies.