Young Muslims in the deep South have been using social media to gauge each other's interest in the Islamic State (IS) group, according to the National Security Council (NSC).
NSC secretary-general Anusit Khunakorn said young, southern Muslims have been messaging each other about the IS in Syria and Iraq.
Mr Anusit said he was unconvinced that Muslim youths in the deep South would join the IS group because they have different ideologies and objectives to the extremists. "Many southern Muslims want separation from Thailand and they carry out their movement domestically," Mr Anusit said.
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However, the NSC chief conceded the IS might attract support from some people in the deep South. He is not aware of any Thai teens who have left to join the IS in the Middle East, or of any IS sympathisers or members entering this country. "As far as I know, no IS members have yet entered Thailand," he said.
The secretary-general said officials from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia have urged Thai authorities to keep track of the IS group.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered stringent checks on exit and entry along the southern borders, he said.
Members of Asean have shown solidarity in their condemnation of violence committed by the IS in Iraq and Syria.
The bloc spoke out against radical groups in the two countries in September last year, saying they were posing a serious threat to the world. "Asean members are concerned about the rise of violence and brutality committed by terrorist/extremist organisations and radical groups in Iraq and Syria, noting these groups not only pose a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, but to all countries in the Middle East, and if left unchecked, the rest of the world," it said.
Out of 10 Asean member countries, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei are predominantly Muslim.
Meanwhile, Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc) spokesman Banpot Poonpian, said the command has urged officials along the southern borders to remain vigilant over the movement of the IS group and to monitor intelligence reports carefully.
Stringent security will be in place on entry and exit points along the southern border, and officials will make intelligence gathering a priority, Col Banpot said. The IS group, southern Muslims and deep South insurgents have different ideologies and are unlikely to join forces, he said.
Although authorities had discovered young Muslims in the South have been discussing the IS group's appeal among themselves, this is just a trend and has yet to reach a level where they are encouraging each other to join, Col Banpot said.