Somjai visiting a Buddhist monk in Pattani, Thailand. She maintains that open communication  is important to build social cohesion.

The South of Thailand has seen levels of unrest in the last few decades, escalating in 2001 and especially in 2004 . With the ongoing violence being driven by tensions between the state, Muslims, Buddhists, as well as small minority groups who have their own customs and identities, there are concerns that communities are growing further apart.