Police said a gunman hailed the pickup pretending to be a merchant wanting to inspect the durians before opening fire at the two men. Sugri was struck in the neck and died later in hospital while Mahama was injured in both arms.

In neighbouring Narathiwat province, paramilitary soldier Asava Solamhad, 28, was found dead by the roadside in Wang district early yesterday morning.

Police suspect Muslim insurgents were behind the two attacks but were not ruling out personal conflicts as a motive.

Meanwhile, Narathiwat's Ban Bue Rang School will reopen today after being closed down for a week following the brutal murder of Thai language teacher Prasarn Choomak last Monday.

Gunmen disguised in school uniforms shot Prasarn dead while he was teaching his primary 4 class. Police have yet to arrest the murderers, but said they have already distributed sketches of two of the four suspects to every station in the area. Questioning of witnesses and teachers in the school is continuing, they said.

Prasarn is the 44th teacher in the region to have lost his life since violence broke out in the three southernmost provinces in early 2004. His death increased fears that the authorities are incapable of properly protecting teachers assigned to the restive region.

The growing number of teachers seeking transfers from the region has raised fears for the quality of schooling in the deep South.

Ministry of Education Inspector Prasert Kaewpetch yesterday said the ministry was well aware of the problem.

The education minister and high-level officials have agreed to set aside a budget for 2007 to continue hiring teachers on yearly contracts to fill vacant positions, he said.

Prasert said the ministry also has a policy of giving tenure to these contract teachers meet the need for educators in the deep South.