A bomb exploded in front of a crowded teashop in restive southern Thailand, killing one woman and wounding 28, police and a hospital official said.
The bomb was hidden in a bag and placed inside a telephone booth on Friday in front of a busy teashop in Yala city, capital of the province of the same name, police Lieutenant Colonel Jirasit Lomae said.
The victims were taken to Yala Hospital, where the names of the wounded were being gathered, hospital employee Kallaya Thongthachu said by telephone.
The bombing appeared to be the latest attack by Islamic insurgents, whose activities have led to more than 2,200 deaths since January 2004.
The dead woman was identified as a 24-year-old Buddhist, Jirasit said.
The religions of the other victims were not immediately known.
The bomb exploded at about 8pm, a time when many southerners traditionally gather to socialize at tea shops.
"The assailants seized an opportunity to stage an attack when police and soldiers were taking a rest," Jirasit said.
Troops had been providing security at trade fair in the province, he said.
Meanwhile, rail service had resumed in the three southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat on Friday -- four days after suspected insurgents sabotaged tracks, causing a train to derail in Pattani Province and injuring nine passengers, the State Railway of Thailand said.
About half the usual number of passengers used trains in the three provinces on Friday, despite an increased police and army presence at stations and junctions along the tracks, said Thanongsak Phongprasert, the southern office director for the railway.
Separately, arsonists burned down a government school in Yala's Krong Pinang district on Thursday night, said police Lieutanent Narasak Chiangsuk, blaming Muslim insurgents.
Police said the militants believe the government is trying to indoctrinate students with un-Islamic values at public schools. Suspected insurgents regularly attack teachers in southern Thailand.
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