The ongoing militancy in the Deep South of Thailand is more than a bout of separatist violence: it represents a cultural conflict that strikes at the heart of the Thai nation. Bangkok faces a serious legitimacy deficit in the region, but has failed to address disengagement from, and antipathy towards, the national myths and symbols that depict a country united by a single religion and an ageing monarch. Soothing the tensions will ultimately require a political solution. Duncan McCargo argues that the current insurgency marks a watershed moment: the time to act is now.