One person was killed and 27 others injured in two separate bombings ahead of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's visit to southern Thailand.

The first bomb exploded in front of a convenience store in Yala province, at around 8:20 pm on February 22.

CCTV footage shows the blast rocking the shop, sparking panic among staff and customers.

Local district police said an improvised explosive device had been planted in a rubbish bin near the store.

Motorcycle driver Tuanibroheng Nimi, 25, was killed by flying shrapnel that pierced his body. Twenty-three others, including seven patrol officers, suffered varying degrees of injury. They were rushed to the Bannang Sata Hospital for treatment.

Police Major Worawit Na Nakhon of the Bannang Sata Police Station said: 'A bomb disposal unit, forensic police, investigators, and other relevant organisations visited the area to collect evidence. So far, they have found remnants of a fire extinguisher, metal scraps, and electronic parts scattered within a 328-foot (100-metre) radius.

'We believe the perpetrator had knowledge of the patrol officers' movements and planted the explosive in advance before detonating it remotely via radio.'

A second bombing attack occurred near the air traffic control tower of the Narathiwat Airport just hours before the former Thai premier was set to arrive on February 23.

The car bomb was detonated some 656 feet (200 metres) from the passenger terminal at around 8:35 am.

Officials said four airport security guards suffered minor injuries and were given first aid.

Police Major General Maitree Santayakul, commander of the Narathiwat Provincial Police, believed the twin blasts were intended to trigger unrest rather than cause casualties.

He said: ‘We checked security cameras to determine when the bomb was planted. At the same time, we will search the car owner's house and a nearby palm plantation for any traces linked to the suspect.'

Former Man City owner Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. He was a billionaire telecommunications tycoon before entering politics and is known for implementing populist policies that appealed to rural and lower-income citizens.

Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006. He fled abroad and was found guilty in absentia of abusing his position as Prime Minister to help his then-wife, Potjaman Na Pombejra, purchase state-owned land at a significantly undervalued price.

While in exile, additional charges and convictions followed, including allegations of mismanagement of government funds, conflicts of interest in business dealings and corruption in his administration.

He returned to Thailand in 2023 following an election coup that saw his political party regain control. He made a deal to avoid spending any significant amount of time in prison for the crimes.

He was flying to Thailand's deep south as adviser to ASEAN chairman, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, for security talks.

Islamic separatist terror attacks target the three southernmost provinces of Thailand - Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat - next to the border with Mulsim neighbors Malaysia. Thai state employees and infrastructure are often hit while attacks on civilians are rare.

Officials believe the conflict dates to a deal in 1909 that the British Empire struck to incorporate the Muslim region into the Siamese 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 7,344 people killed and 13,641 injured between January 2004 and March 2022.

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.