Shoppers Stay Home As Fear Of More Bombs Lingers

[george]

Shoppers stay home as fear of more bombs lingers

BANGKOK: -- One week on from the New Year bombings, popular shopping areas of Bangkok continue to suffer a plunge in daily earnings.

Shop owners say customers remain fearful of more explosions, which has not been helped by a wave of bomb threats and hoaxes throughout the week.

Several sellers at the popular Chatuchak weekend market said there were far fewer shoppers than this time last year.

"There are very few foreign tourists today. Usually there are a lot of international tourists shopping here at Chatuchak.

"They probably have heard warnings from their embassies," said Chor-thip Saiboonsri, a gift-shop owner at the market.

Chor-thip said the number of Thai visitors normally dropped off after the New Year break but there were still fewer than normal.

Clothing-shop owner Sriyakorn Chata-nilapan said her income had fallen 30 per cent because of a lack of customers.

Shopper Charaporn Suthi visited the market with her son but did so only because there were things she needed. She was scared of more bombs. Security patrols made her feel safer.

Mother of two Ratana [who did not want her family name used] said her daughters "pleaded with me to take them out shopping. I asked my friends to convince them it was not the right time and it can be dangerous out there."

She said she may take them shopping again in about two to three months when the "prime minister says it will be safer".

Safety fears have spread through the country, including to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek International Horticultural Exposition in Chiang Mai.

Bus driver Charoen Paoduang said there were far fewer visitors to Chiang Mai after the Bangkok bombs.

"Normally, I would make 90 trips a day bringing passengers from the city to the exposition. Now, I drive only 30," he said.

Bomb rumours have affected his income.

Meanwhile, police commissioner General Kowit Wattana met with senior officers to plan security for Children's Day on January 13.

Kowit also visited Chatuchak to observe security measures including closed circuit television surveillance.

Police have yet to make any arrests following the eight explosions that killed three and injured more than 40 others.

It is widely suspected individuals ousted from power in the September coup are behind the attacks.

--The Nation 2007-01-08

[pampal]

Here in Chinatown we haven't seen any drop in business.

It's business as usual here, no drop off in business at all. Yesterday was very busy as is today.

People have to stop letting terrorist affect their way of life. I think the Thai people and tourists are taking it pretty well. The big stores and shopping centers are more affected than the smaller stores.

[thai_narak]

Shoppers stay home... This is one good thing!

[blaze]

Shoppers stay home as fear of more bombs lingers

BANGKOK: -- One week on from the New Year bombings, popular shopping areas of Bangkok continue to suffer a plunge in daily earnings.

Shop owners say customers remain fearful of more explosions, which has not been helped by a wave of bomb threats and hoaxes throughout the week.

Several sellers at the popular Chatuchak weekend market said there were far fewer shoppers than this time last year.

"There are very few foreign tourists today. Usually there are a lot of international tourists shopping here at Chatuchak.

"They probably have heard warnings from their embassies," said Chor-thip Saiboonsri, a gift-shop owner at the market.

Chor-thip said the number of Thai visitors normally dropped off after the New Year break but there were still fewer than normal.

Clothing-shop owner Sriyakorn Chata-nilapan said her income had fallen 30 per cent because of a lack of customers.

Shopper Charaporn Suthi visited the market with her son but did so only because there were things she needed. She was scared of more bombs. Security patrols made her feel safer.

Mother of two Ratana [who did not want her family name used] said her daughters "pleaded with me to take them out shopping. I asked my friends to convince them it was not the right time and it can be dangerous out there."

She said she may take them shopping again in about two to three months when the "prime minister says it will be safer".

Safety fears have spread through the country, including to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek International Horticultural Exposition in Chiang Mai.

Bus driver Charoen Paoduang said there were far fewer visitors to Chiang Mai after the Bangkok bombs.

"Normally, I would make 90 trips a day bringing passengers from the city to the exposition. Now, I drive only 30," he said.

Bomb rumours have affected his income.

Meanwhile, police commissioner General Kowit Wattana met with senior officers to plan security for Children's Day on January 13.

Kowit also visited Chatuchak to observe security measures including closed circuit television surveillance.

Police have yet to make any arrests following the eight explosions that killed three and injured more than 40 others.

It is widely suspected individuals ousted from power in the September coup are behind the attacks.

--The Nation 2007-01-08

"It is widely suspected individuals ousted from power in the September coup are behind the attacks."- and hopefully, if we continue to tack this statement on to every possible story we publish, it will and become widely accepted as fact.

[kmart]

Allegedly the people responsible are known to the authorities already.

Wouldn't it be nice, just for a change, to have somebody other than a low-grade patsy arrested and and made to serve hard time here? To mibbe restore a bit of public faith?

Obviously someone's snout has been disjointed from the trough of public funds and is getting a little agitated about the fact that they might have to actually work for a living. How about them sewing mailsacks for the rest of their naturals?

It will never happen though. Shady little deals will be done by well-connected smirking little uniformed men in murky corridors. (They have one General per tank you know ) Good here, innit?

[blaze]

Allegedly the people responsible are known to the authorities already.

Wouldn't it be nice, just for a change, to have somebody other than a low-grade patsy arrested and and made to serve hard time here? To mibbe restore a bit of public faith?

Obviously someone's snout has been disjointed from the trough of public funds and is getting a little agitated about the fact that they might have to actually work for a living. How about them sewing mailsacks for the rest of their naturals?

It will never happen though. Shady little deals will be done by well-connected smirking little uniformed men in murky corridors. (They have one General per tank you know ) Good here, innit?

Now I'm gonna sound really cynical: forgive me- but the people responsible were identified long before the crime was even planned. They were identified Sept 19th.

[kurtgruen]

Shoppers stay home as fear of more bombs lingers

Thai's love to shop. Don't worry, their desire for spending money will outway their fear of bombs. After all, it's the great American way, isn't it? (Shopping, Shopping, Shopping...keeping the rich, rich and the poor, poor. Coming to you directly from your local television Station. What you don't own a TV, you better go out and buy one right now. Without a TV, you are only poor worthless scum, don't you know that. This is Thailand. Here you have to pretend to be somebody and the only way you can do that is to pretend to be rich, even if you have to borrow money at 20% interest per month to buy that new car.)

[BAKABAS]

All will be ok in February, i will be arriving !! :D Ya know, i never thought i'd be on the front line against bombers.. Well, this is where its at, showing those low lifes that perpetrated taking of innocent lives and fear mongering That the majority of decent human beings will not be coward ed into changing their lifestyle to accommodate these fears. Sure, i'm worried, i'm human. I have 4 children to look after and put food in their mouths. but.. what would be worse..a. dying b. teaching your children that low lifes that blow humans up should be feared ? . and if that should happen, god forbid, don't make a hero of me , just do what i do, live your life like nothing is to fear. In the end, those who do bad will receive bad. So....to every decent civilized human being , get out there, don't be afraid, only good will come to those who do good.

My 2 cents worth..

mmm deep eh? I'll have another beer