Opportunities for inter-ethno-religious engagement in Thailand’s southern border provinces

As the conflict in Thailand’s southern border provinces shows no signs of abating, this article examines why Malay Muslims have managed to co-exist alongside the Thai Buddhists and the Sino-Thai population. Based on fieldwork, this article argues that while various factors have hardened ethno-religious identities and strengthened boundaries between ‘the other’ which in turn have affected inter-ethnic relations, a variety of opportunities for civic engagement has served to counter the prospect of ethnic relations erupting into communal violence.