Mr Thaksin has proposed a series of measures to curb the violence

Two civilians and one policeman were killed by unknown assailants in the latest attacks, on Wednesday night.

Before heading south, Mr Thaksin held talks with senior officials in Bangkok. More than 40 people have now been killed by violence which the government has blamed both on Islamic militants and gangsters.

Mr Thaksin's government has also announced that it will close most of the 900 schools in the region for the rest of the week, because of threats of attacks

"We had to close down for the safety of teachers and children," said Chanat Promsri, president of a teachers' association in the three provinces - Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala

A number of schools were attacked when the latest violence broke out in January.

Schools have been closed through fears of further attacks

In the south, police arrested a Muslim man of dual Thai and Malaysian nationality on suspicion of trying to kill a soldier and belonging to a separatist movement.

A spokesman said the man was probably only a "low level" member of the separatist movement which some government officials have linked to the attacks.

Security

A BBC correspondent in Bangkok, Jonathan Head, says that after years of dismissing southern violence as no more than local disputes, the prime minister is now talking about drastic steps to curb it.

He has proposed a security fence along parts of the border with Malaysia to block militants crossing, along with tighter regulations to control Islamic schools in the region, which must now all fly the Thai national flag.

He has also proposed giving tens of millions of dollars to develop the south, a relatively poor part of the country.

SOUTHERN THAILAND Home to most of Thailand's 4% Muslim minority Muslim rebels fought the government up to the mid-80s Area beset by poverty and poor relations between local communities and government officials Thailand wakes to separatist threat

Officials are still not clear about who is behind the attacks, which began with a raid on an army post last month, by a gang who made off with 300 guns.

The government originally blamed local organised crime, but has now acknowledged that rising militancy among young Muslims may be a factor.

US and regional intelligence agencies believe the Al-Qaeda-linked organization Jemaah Islamiah, which is blamed for the 2002 Bali bomb attack, has been active in southern Thailand recently.