Many Thai Muslims fleeing the insurgency in southern Thailand have settled in Malaysia and found new lives as cooks in restaurants that feature Thai food. Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont claimed recently that many of these restaurants are a significant source of funding and recruitment for the separatists. Malaysian authorities vehemently deny the accusations. A recent study found that an estimated 230,000 Thai Muslims work in Malaysia and remit 6 billion baht annually. However, there are no figures on how much money comes from the restaurant workers.
AP
AP