A bomb blast hit a fuel station and destroyed an oil dispenser in Thailand's southern border on Christmas eve.

The explosion was caught on CCTV lighting up a PTT station in Yala province on December 24 evening.

One of the pumps was severely damaged after catching fire. Emergency teams brought it under control in 30 minutes.

Authorities believe the bomb was planted by two motorcycle riders at the fuel station when it was closed. They reportedly escaped towards Ban Lae village.

A nearby convenience store was open at the time of the blast, but there were no reports of casualties or injuries.

Lieutenant General Santi Sakuntanaga, commander of the 4th Army, said the detonation targeted residents still reeling from recent floods in the province.

He said: 'It is the intention of criminals who hope to destroy the economy and tourism.'

Forensics and explosive ordnance teams have cordoned off the area to collect evidence while investigations are underway.

Islamic separatist terror attacks target the three southernmost provinces of Thailand next to the border with Mulsim neighbors Malaysia. Thai state employees and infrastructure are often hit.

Officials believe the conflict in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat dates to a deal in 1909 between the British Empire and Siam to incorporate the Muslim region into the mainland.

The region's culture is more similar to Malaysia and dramatically different to Buddhist Thais causing decades of tension that lead to the emergence of separatist groups fighting for independence in the 1960s.

The struggle has continued ever since with more than 7,290 people killed between January 2004 and October 2021. There were an average of 38.8 incidents and 36.7 casualties a month in 2021, according to data from Deep South Watch.

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office warns against all but essential travel to the region while Canada's government warns its nationals to 'avoid all travel' to the three provinces.