Thailand's highly esteemed Queen Sirikit will visit the deep South soon despite the ongoing violence in the region, the Bangkok Post reported Tuesday.

In mid-August or September, Queen Sirikit will stay in Narathiwat and visit people in southern villages to boost morale and inspect royal projects, said privy councillor Gen Surayud Chulanont.

"The duration of the Queen's stay has not been fixed, but it will be at least one month," Surayud was quoted by Bangkok Post newspaper as saying.

The queen has bought 600 rai of land with her own money to build houses in the South for widows of men killed in the violence. Construction of some 150 houses will be fulfilled ahead of the Queen's visit.

Meanwhile, two Muslim villagers were shot dead and two others wounded in separate attacks in Pattani and Narathiwat provinces on Monday.

During the first attack, two natives were assaulted by unidentified gunmen while riding a motorcycle in Mayo district of Pattani province. One of them died on the spot and the other sustained crucial gunshot wounds.

In Narathiwat, a villager was shot and wounded Monday when he opened the door of his house at Sai Buri district. In the province 's Bacho district, another Muslim resident was shot dead after returning from a mosque.

Police said the three attacks were related to separatists' movement in deep South which flared up at the beginning of last year and resulted in the deaths of more than 800 people so far.

Source: Xinhua