Powerful bomb defused before Abhisit's visit

It remained unclear whether Abhisit was the intended target.

The PM, who was on a one-day visit to Yala and Pattani yesterday, had earlier shrugged off concerns about his safety in the deep South.

Police said they had defused the three-kilogram home-made bomb placed near a roadside bus-stop shelter in Yala's Muang district.

Villagers had earlier warned police about an unexplained iron box by the road that turned out to contain the bomb.

Late on Friday night a small fire broke out at the bus-stop, which police suspected to be an arson attack.

While inspecting the scene of the fire, forensic officials discovered the bomb concealed nearby. The bomb was designed to explode when someone stepped on its detonating device, according to bomb-disposal officials.

The explosive device was defused about 10.30am by a local bomb-disposal unit. No one was hurt.

There was no violence in the neighbouring province of Pattani during the prime minister's visit.