Authorities on Koh Samui have increased security measures, inspecting all vehicles and people arriving on the island, following the discovery of several suspected explosive devices in Phuket and Krabi.
At Koh Samui's ferry terminal on Saturday, all vehicles and passengers arriving from the mainland were being screened by local police, working alongside immigration officers, tourist police and soldiers.
The increased security comes in response to a series of incidents in Phuket and Krabi which appeared to be connected and part of an attempt to destabilise southern provinces, authorities said.
The incidents included the discovery of a suspected explosive device in a motorcycle abandoned near the terminal at Phuket International Airport. A handful of other suspicious objects were found on popular beaches and tourist sites in Phuket and Krabi. All were safely neutralised.
Additional checkpoints have been set up along Koh Samui's ring road and at piers where tourists travel to Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.
