2017 Pattani bombing

On 9 May 2017, two bombs exploded at a Big C supermarket in Pattani, Thailand. 56 people were injured, two seriously. Two men, alleged by police to be Pattani Muslim separatists, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the attack.

Attack
The attack took place around 2:50 PM Thai time (07:50 UTC) on 10 May with the detonation of a bomb on a motorcycle near the entrance at the Big C supermarket. 10 minutes later, a second blast a larger and more powerful explosion outside the building entrance, from pickup truck carrying two gas cylinders with explosives weighing about 100kg.

56 people were injured, four seriously including a child, and no deaths were reported. Most of the wounded received treatment at the scene, but 21 people were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Before that, the Big C supermarket here was bombed twice before. The first time on 1 August 2005 and the second one took place on 11 March 2012.

Suspects
The police have said three groups of six people were involved in the bombings. A massive manhunt was launched for four men who were allegedly involved in the twin blasts.The police killed one suspect and arrested two others in a shootout at a mosque.

The police initially said the attackers had suspected links to Barisan Revolusi Nasional. They have also alleged that the attackers had ties to Bakong Pittaya School in Pattani, and that a December 2017 raid on the school turned up bomb making supplies and anti-government and rebel material.

In September 2018 the two men, including one were convicted and sentenced to death, commuted to life imprisonment, for the attack. Another suspect was killed by Thai security forces in 2020. Warrants remain outstanding for others.

Filmmaker Bhandavis Depchand made a short documentary called Journey of Isolation (2018) about suspect Pauji Tasamoh, based on interviews with his family.