The US and British embassies say there could be a "real and credible" terrorist attack imminent in Bangkok, Thailand and are warning foreign tourists and expats to be careful when in popular tourist areas. The threat is said to be coming from Hezbollah and is to target Israeli citizens.Strange doesn't even begin to explain that statement.
Oddly too, the Thai Defence Minister Yutthasak Sasiprapha says a warning about a possible attack will not be given to Thais, “because it will cause panic and will affect tourism”. It seems the Thai government doesn’t care about their own citizens’safety – just that of tourists and the almighty tourist dollar.
The warning was issued several hours ago after the US embassy contacted the Thai government on Thursday night, telling them to be on the lookout for two terrorist suspects who may have entered Thailand. Since then, one Lebanese man has been arrested by Thai authorities, who ralso emain on the lookout for another.
The warning about a Hezbollah terrorist though seems to make little sense, and it is possible that it's nothing more than a case of the US over-reacting . After all, a more paranoid government has yet to be created. Even CNN terrorist expert, Peter Bergen, called the claim “pretty surprising” as Hezbollah has never had an active presence in Thailand. So why on earth would they suddenly start now?
Thailand has had a problem with Muslim separatists for years, but it has been kept mainly in the southern areas of the country – areas few tourists ever visit. Every year, bombs explode and Buddhists are targeted by bombers or gunmen but, overall, the fatalities are still quite low, and Bangkok has never been a target.
So the idea that, suddenly, Hezbollah is going to move into Thailand and start targeting foreigners? Well, it seems more than just a little far-fetched.
The US Embassy message, meanwhile, states this:
This message alerts U.S. citizens in Thailand that foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future. U.S. citizens are urged to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok.
U.S. citizens are encouraged to maintain a heightened awareness when out in public; be alert for unattended packages/bags in public/crowded places and report any suspicious behavior to the nearest law enforcement personnel. We also encourage you to keep a low profile in public areas, particularly areas frequented by foreign tourists.
If in Bangkok, deal with it as you will. I plan on getting on with my life as normal. Then again, I'm not as paranoid as your average American. Few of us outside America are.
And, as for the Thais, it will be life going on as normal for them too. After all, their government didn't even seem to think the attack worth mentioning.
