What Would You Do?

[ThaiPauly]

Following on from the very long thread about the unrest in the Deep South, what would you do if the Millitants bought the fight to Bangkok,(which they are threatening to do) with say 5 or 6 bombings killing maybee 100-200 people.

Would you tough it out or would you be on your way home?

[BambinA]

i will fart on them .... remind me to eat Pla Rah b4 ..(even i hve never eaten it)

[Totster]

i will fart on them .... remind me  to eat Pla Rah  b4 ..(even i hve never eaten it)

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can just breathe on them after eating that stuff bambi..

totster

[Steve2UK]

Same as we do in London - and did when it was the IRA. Get on with my life.

[davethailand]

Same as we do in London - and did when it was the IRA. Get on with my life.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same here

[Guest endure]

Same as we do in London - and did when it was the IRA. Get on with my life.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Same here

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What else?

[johnh101]

Not my favourite phrase, but..........No Surrender !!!

[DJ Moore]

Following on from the very long thread about the unrest in the Deep South, what would you do if the Millitants bought the fight to Bangkok,(which they are threatening to do) with say 5 or 6 bombings killing maybee 100-200 people.

Would you tough it out or would you be on your way home?

=============================================

I'd just set-up a special "Katoey Force" to kick there butts..........DJM

[kayo]

I would... er.... (no witty comments spring to mind).... do as above.. carry on with my life.

then again, I´m about twenty thousand miles away from bangkok.

[britmaveric]

Som Nam Na - honestly dont think they have the bottle to hit BKK. We all know as well as they do what will happen next if BKK becomes a sucessful target.

[ThaiPauly]

Good to see we are all United on one matter then.

No Surrender to Terroism!!!

[The_Moog]

We left Indonesia after the Bali Bomb and being notified that the bombers were coming to Jakarta - which sure enough they did a few months later.

I don't think a typical Southerner of, say peasant extraction, would do the assignment, possibly a foreign jihadist in an attack on the underground or skytrain, maybe Nana Plaza.

Would it cause me to leave ?- well I'd have to think where to go. London?

A more likely cause for me to leave would be a pathetic response to whatever avian virus 2006 brings.

Thailand is not good at post-disaster management, because Thais immediately get defensive and go into 'Don't look at me, its not my fault' mode..unable to accept the slightest responsibility for anything, whether its Thaksin or my wife.

[khall64au]

From an economic perspective, maybe I'd seek greener pastures.

There's a T-shirt for sale on Phuket:

2002 Sars

2003 Bird Flu

2004 Tsunami

What's Next?

[HarryHacker]

Good to see we are all United on one matter then.

No Surrender to Terroism!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed!

[ilyushin]

My wife said to me several years ago "one day you may have to leave and let the Thais sort this out amongst themselves". It was over the draconian government not terrorist, but might apply to an attack. I hope that it never comes to this, but better prepared. Cash stashed, copies of all documents, fly away kit, etc...

Best to continue on and hope we aren't forced out.

[GuestHouse]

I'd wait for the Baht to dive and then by loads of it.

[tripperj]

Having lived in a country that had "terrorism" all my life, up untill the last ten years, i can tell ya it just becomes part of ur day to day life. You become numded to it. This no surender attatuide just leads to more terrorism and state abuse of it's power in it's so called fight against terrorism. And i am talking about the liberal british system, were prople have so much more freedom and the state is supositly more accounable to and indapendant from the judical system. If the situation in Thailand degenerates to the point of nation wide and continued attack from terrorist, i really frear for all the people that the government will attack using the excuse of fighting the terrrists. It is a very tricky situation and there is no easy solution, "No sureender" and such pollicies will ultamitly lead to more and more terrorist because they have the same attitude, the more of them you kill the more of there friends and family will take up arms as they will see no other oppion to defend there "rights".

Zero tollerance towards this kind of problem doesn't work. It feels right, when an outragous attrosity takes place, but the following crack down will just lead to a greater sence of outrage in the comuinty the "terrorist" come from, lead more and more young men to be brain washed with hatered and going out and carry on more killing and the cycle goes on.

So if this does happen all i can say is you will get used to it and you humanity becomes blinkered with the them and us bullsh1t, so that when one side carrys out an act of violence you think is is terrable but when the other side retalliates you think, well they disevered it. This is a very sad but is a side of human nature that seems very hard to break away from....

Tj

[Lynnx]

From an economic perspective, maybe I'd seek greener pastures.

There's a T-shirt for sale on Phuket:

2002 Sars

2003 Bird Flu

2004 Tsunami

What's Next?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

2005 floods

2006 new Airport

[edd]

You just continue with living and hope for the best.

I was half a mile from the IRA bomb that killed two small children shopping for mothers day presents in Warrington.

No expletives could describe them adequately.

I was also about 1 mile away from the big bomb in Manchester.

You hear the bang, you worry about the people that have been killed and hurt, you talk about it for a few weeks, but above all you just thank God you and yours are ok and just carry on living.

[zaz]

I'm scared shitless of terrorism, just writing this post I feel sick just thinking about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I hope to God that the day will never come when Bangkok becomes a target I really do.

True - no surrender to terrorism BUT I don't think we should be arrogant towards it either as to say whether they carry out successful attacks or not they will not get what they want - this is not the way either. The best way is always prevention is it not? People need to engage in talks and not have the attitude "we will not negotiate with terrorists". Fact is negotiations are well needed.

How would you rather live - in constant fear of an attack or in peace of mind that a resolution can be had in the near future? I know what I would rather have. Thailand really doesn't deserve this, I have a lot of love for the place and it would break my heart to see any form of violence and destruction anywhere within the country. I hope for peace.

[zaz]

Just a thought, and maybe off topic, but do you think there is more risk of being killed by the bird flu virus than a terrorist bomb....?

[think_too_mut]

Thailand really doesn't deserve this, I have a lot of love for the place and it would break my heart to see any form of violence and destruction anywhere within the country.  I hope for peace.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My feelings too.

However, Bangkok is vulnerable because it's not the place as NY or London where things (business, multinational offices) must carry on.

Other than plants staffed with Thai nationals, no need for management to be there in full numbers.

From BKK they can always move to HK or Singapore.

Mostly, BKK relies on (foreign) people who may not come or even leave if something is not right. Just see what has happened to Phuket.

Not nice to say it but the tsunami was the (economicaly) the cheapest disaster of such a proportion in history.

No major ports, rafineries, manufacturing plants were affected. It may have killed 200+ thousand people but has caused nothing to the world other than empathy and donations pouring in.

What would I do? In a short term, nothing. In a long term, without tourists coming and spending and companies withdrawing from BKK (there are 3800 foreign companies there), it would be a place that would struggle to earn it's keep.

[Galong]

Thailand is not good at post-disaster management, because Thais immediately get defensive and go into 'Don't look at me, its not my fault' mode..unable to accept the slightest responsibility for anything, whether its Thaksin or my wife.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Talk about hitting the nail on the head! Yep, I think the response could possibly do more harm than the event.

Dealing with very sensitive events is a lot more complicated than running a mobile phone monopoly... geez.

[Rinrada]

Lets hope it dont ever happen

In the seventies Baghdad/Basra,Beiruit (Lebanon)Tel Aviv and for our older "ippies"who did the big walk even Kabul was/were fun places to be.

Nice people,easy going (albiet with a bit of underlying tensions)good food and Booze...remember Pork Chops,Iraqi Red wine,Fatima Lager Beer and a sultry balmy night down by the waters of the shatt al Arab with the BBQ going and even a couple of Saddams boys (to keep them happy)...Could they drink? (Christians...)

Now the lunatics have taking over..............sad

[Ice Maiden]

I'd stay in Thailand and carry on with with my life. Terrorism they just want to inflict terror upon us so leaving the county would therefore mean they have succeeded on what they set out to do. Why let them?

[britmaveric]

Don't fear plain and simple. What will be will be. Live your life. Negotiations with animals not possible.

[terdsak_12]

Thailand is not good at post-disaster management, because Thais immediately get defensive and go into 'Don't look at me, its not my fault' mode..unable to accept the slightest responsibility for anything, whether its Thaksin or my wife.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly!!!!!

[Diablo Bob]

Great posts.....

Many valid and informative responses reflecting the different views on how the terrorism issue should be dealt with.

I am currently working in Afghanistan, an area with a slight terrorism problem, nothing like what the media publishes, but with us every day. Now, working in Afghanistan, I realize that when I go to Kandahar, Khost, Qalat or Laska Ghar I better be prepared for something...... Kabul, you are much more protected, but still the rocket attacks and bombings do occur.

We don't run away when S__T happens, we just move on and take precautions. All the while, the militants are being recruitted to work within the system to bring about change. This is a long term process, we all know about the efficiency of governments. There is no short term solution, such as "Give them what they want!", because once you give on one point there will always be a demand for more concessions. Look at North Korea and disarmament......

The militants need to see a light at the end of the tunnel, a hope and a future before they will change their tactics.

Now my answer to the original question...... "Drink another beer and rationalize that since this is my 5th war zone in 30+ years and I am still alive, rejoice." I look at the bright side, maybe we can have an exodus large enough to bring back the Thailand I fell in love with during the 60s. And most importantly, always be on the lookout for "What would be a great target if I were a terrorist? And be sure to stay away from there!"

[Gazza]

I can't honestly say what I'd do until something actually does happen. It would depend on how badly it affects my family. They would be my main concern.

[TizMe]

Odds are much higher that you and/or your family will be killed in a senseless traffic accident than killed by any terrorist threat.

So are you going to run away to somewhere where they drive more sensibly? Of course not, so why run away because of a very small threat from terrorists?