Safety and security of tourists in outlying areas. According to the Thailand Board of Investment (2005), Buddhism is the major religion (94%) in Thailand, followed by Muslim (4%), Christian (1%) and other religions (1%). The majority of Muslims live in the four southern provinces, near the border of Malaysia, a country with a predominantly Muslim religion. Thai Muslims in the south want to separate from Thailand and become a part of Malaysia. There have been frequent bombings and bomb threats in the south, which cause people to be concerned about safety and discourage tourists from visiting Thailand. According to Mydans (2007), the situation in the south is getting worse and many are referring to it as a war.