Army veteran Aniru Che-ase, 52, was shot dead by a gunman riding on the back of a motorcycle who fired six rounds from a 9mm gun. Aniru's body was found on the side of a road on the outskirts of Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district.

Arong Waeyousoh was shot dead as he was driving home to Bukit village after guarding government offices in Narathiwat's Joh I Rong district.

In Rangae district, Muhamad Niwang was slain and another man was injured in a drive-by shooting, while in the district's Tambon Kalisa, kamnan Mahama Chemae, 49, survived an attempt on his life.

In Pattani, Amron Che, 25, was shot dead by an assailant with a shotgun. His body was found on the side of a back road in Yaring district.

Police suspect the assailants were Muslim separatists.

In Bangkok, Chidchai insisted that the situation had improved but offered no support for that opinion.

Chidchai said he plans to visit the region in the coming week and intends to continue urging the local community to cooperate with the government to end the violence.

He dismissed a suggestion that the state had neglected Malays in the deep South, which is one of the country's poorest regions.

While calling for reconciliation, Chidchai also defended the government's controversial Emergency Decree, which grants immunity to government officials for any wrongdoing in their efforts to contain the violence.

Chidchai also brushed off questions about lower-ranking officials not receiving their due monthly allowances, telling reporters to go and ask the respective Army or police commanders.

More than 1,200 people, mostly Muslims, have been killed since January 2004 in the restive region.