Three Cheers For The Royal Garden Shopping Centre

[Mobi]

For quite a few years now, The Royal Garden Shopping Centre on Beach Road has led the drive against terrorism in Pattaya, by checking every vehicle that parks there for bombs, before allowing entry. A very good reason to shop there as opposed to other – ‘non bomb-checked’ car parks.

So if you enter the car park on beach Road, be prepared for the slight delay as the gallant security guards run the specially adapted mirror under your car and take a quick look in your boot.

However, if you happen to be in a bit of hurry, or have something in your boot that you don’t wish to see the light of day – I have a cunning plan that will avoid all this unpleasantness.

Here’s what you do:

Instead of entering the car park form the Beach Road entrance, take a quick drive round the block to second road, and enter the car park from there. You will be delighted to discover that at this entrance, there is a distinct absence of bomb checkers.

And you know what? The gallant lads at the Beach Road entrance have no idea that hundreds of cars enter from the other end of the car park every day without being checked for bombs.

I know, because I asked them.

[basjke]

isn't there a sign at the beachside " terrorists please use the other entrance"?

[Jareddiving]

Sometimes they are there as well.

[Weho]

Now you've done it... you've tipped off the terrorists... and i'm pretty sure they check this forum regularly for ideas.

[CHdiver]

If you are clever enough; you use your motorbike to bring in your explosive. They check under the saddle, but never take a look at the box at the back of the bike. TIT

[innovator]

The terrorists won't strike in Pattaya because this is where all of the 94 virgins live. This is the place that they come after they blow themselves up at the shopping mall, supermarket, coffee shop or other crowded place. So, no need to worry as this is the terrorist's heaven, their final reward for their good deeds.

[Kerryd]

The terrorists won't strike in Pattaya because this is where all of the 94 virgins live. This is the place that they come after they blow themselves up at the shopping mall, supermarket, coffee shop or other crowded place. So, no need to worry as this is the terrorist's heaven, their final reward for their good deeds.

Virgins ? In Pattaya ? Wouldn't that be an oxymoron ?

Then again, pretty much every girl in town will tell you she's a virgin, if that's what she thinks you want to hear. Maybe the terrs are a little more gullible (in that part of town) ?

[Tammi]

The terrorists won't strike in Pattaya because this is where all of the 94 virgins live. This is the place that they come after they blow themselves up at the shopping mall, supermarket, coffee shop or other crowded place. So, no need to worry as this is the terrorist's heaven, their final reward for their good deeds.

[plasticpig]

I know a few Falang female ones, think they will stay that way as well

[Cuban]

The car park at Royals is not a target, too much concrete to be affected by a small car bomb. Consider some more likely American centric places would better attract suicide bombers amougst the crowd. It would only take one or two people to explode along Walking Street one night for the headlines to flash around the world that the whole of Thailand is dangerous, it would kill the tourist "high" season for Pattaya and lead to "random" body searches at the Junction of Walking Street & Beach Road - of course no bomber would consider approaching from the pier or one of the side Sois like Covent Garden. Why? Because like the Royal Garden security guards checking the Beach Road entrance, it is just for show. Tourists walk past and see the checks being made and assume that there is security / it is safe.

Don't forget it was only a few years ago a dispute over security guards at Tesco resulted in RPGs being fired around BKK.

How do people (tourists) feel when they see army types standing (sitting reading the paper) in front of gold shops? Safe or what threat is there that means that an M16 is needed on every street corner.

[thaimate]

do you mean that most of the girls in soi 6 arnt virgins and they have been lying?

i find this hard to believe. they seem so genuine .

in fact theres a girl there i knew before she was a virgin.

[sharecropper]

This topic - the threat of terrorism in Pattaya - is far too serious for it to be made light of on this forum.

Other than improving Walking Street security, which, as someone pointed out, is a joke at the best of times (for instance allowing vehicles to travel through there when the place is packed at 3am with people being thrown out of discos) is madness, but does anyone have any other sensible suggestions to reduce the threat of terrorism here?

[innovator]

The terrorists cannot get visas now in Thailand, so we don't need to worry too much because most of the terrorists are being rejected for entrance or for new visas at nearby consulates in SE Asia. So, these new visa regulations should protect all of us from any potential terrorist threat.

The new visa application forms ask for occupation and when the terrorists fill in the blanks that they are suicide bombers or similar professionals then they will simply be refused a visa.

Also, the new T-Visa will only allow them to stay for a period not to exceed 90 days and with a maximum of 3 consecutive border runs.

All should be cleared up by now.

Edited November 15, 2007 by innovator

[Humphrey Bear]

The terrorists cannot get visas now in Thailand, so we don't need to worry too much because most of the terrorists are being rejected for entrance or for new visas at nearby consulates in SE Asia. So, these new visa regulations should protect all of us from any potential terrorist threat.

The new visa application forms ask for occupation and when the terrorists fill in the blanks that they are suicide bombers or similar professionals then they will simply be refused a visa.

Also, the new T-Visa will only allow them to stay for a period not to exceed 90 days and with a maximum of 3 consecutive border runs.

All should be cleared up by now.

Sorry - I wrote "Construction - IED" on my application and it was approved for two months.

As it has only taken three days to find someone to rent me a concrete transmixer, and I have ordered 3 1/2 tonnes of fertilizer, plus 250 litres of diesel and 100 kg of aluminium powder, I now have a week to place the mixture carefully in the drum and go for a drive.

Plenty of time to spare ......

Edited November 15, 2007 by Humphrey Bear

[Mobi]

I have no doubt there will be a convenient backdoor from whence terrosists may make their entrance into LOS, and then hot foot it to the back gate of Royal garden, maybe accompanied by Procol Harum, singing about 16 vestal virgins.....

[luumak]

Yup "enboldening" the enemy!

[Digger]

I think you will find that the checks are done for the benefit of the Marriott Hotel - remember the target in Jakarta a few years ago????? Either way its a total waste of time, as you say you can drive into the foyer of the Marriott area without being checked.

[ThaidleHands]

They've tried to export international terrorism to Thailand, but the high tariffs and corruption in the Customs Department put them off.

[Mobi]

They've tried to export international terrorism to Thailand, but the high tariffs and corruption in the Customs Department put them off.

Terrorism is a banned profession for foreigners, as it will take work away from locals.

[ThaidleHands]

They've tried to export international terrorism to Thailand, but the high tariffs and corruption in the Customs Department put them off.

Terrorism is a banned profession for foreigners, as it will take work away from locals.

The work permit for demolitions isn't the problem. The consulates just can't figure out how to give a one-way visa.

[chuckd]

As Humphrey Bear will, hopefully, concur, the security at RGP is a joke.

Wait until you have to have both the engine compartment, boot and underneath checked, with you standing outside your car. Then you drive through a concrete barrier maze to be faced with an APC with a 20 mm cannon and a .50 caliber M-1 machine gun mounted on top just to get into your compound. More than one APC might be stationed at some of the higher profile compounds. Security is not a joke over here.

That's what we do in Saudi on a daily basis.

The discos on Walking Street and scattered around town are what worry me. I just won't go in one. They might be considered target rich environments by the bad guys.

[Jareddiving]

I got checked again today at the second road entrance..

Wasnt the first time!

We have shops in there so use this entrance daily 3-4 times.

[Mobi]

I got checked again today at the second road entrance..

Wasnt the first time!

We have shops in there so use this entrance daily 3-4 times.

But is it every time?

I reckon I use the beach Road and and Second Road entrance about 50/50. I'm always checked on Beach, and yet to be checked on second.

Even if they miss one day, or one hour a day, then it renders the whole security operation a complete farce. All our friendly bombers have to do is wait until there is a 'pause' in the security checking on second road - and in they go.

[ThaidleHands]

The discos on Walking Street and scattered around town are what worry me. I just won't go in one. They might be considered target rich environments by the bad guys.

The illegal builds on the beach side of Walking Street are the softest targets they'd ever find.

One guy with a boat and a cause and it would be quite a body count.

[Mobi]

The discos on Walking Street and scattered around town are what worry me. I just won't go in one. They might be considered target rich environments by the bad guys.

The illegal builds on the beach side of Walking Street are the softest targets they'd ever find.

One guy with a boat and a cause and it would be quite a body count.

There are so many soft tourist targets for terrorists in Thailand that you could get seriously paranoid.

How about the centre of NEP, or Soi Cowboy in BKK, or a packed Dept store - MBK for example. You could go on and on. All would be easy targets for determined and professional bombers.

Certainly a few coordinated bombs around the Walking Street environs would create world news and decimate the tourist industry very nicely.

And all we have is few half hearted, part time security guards. It wasn't long ago that someone pointed out that the checking of cars and people entering Siam Paragon, was a complete waste of time, as it was possible to enter the area via outlets on the perimeter with impunity.

It's only a matter of time.....only time.....

[MeaMaximaCulpa]

While running the risk of increasing the searching dilligence, I must say I question the use of looking inside the boot (trunk) of a car, without examining the contents. Like my big tennis bag, which could easily house a sizeable load of <you know what I mean>. Even a huge golf bag is never checked. So posturing for the public, not really security. Annoying, but part of the daily routine. And slamming the boot-lid shut as if he was closing the tomb of an Egyptian Farao for eternity...

Edit for spelling.

Edited November 15, 2007 by MeaMaximaCulpa

[R123]

Another aspect of this is that, if so inclined, the terrorists can get hunderds if not thousands in RG or other vulnerable place with one hit.

And if that occurs and it is because of poor security, then those who allowed the terrorists in to do it have the standard Thai response:

"Mai Pen Rai"

This is one of the usual reasons given by the locals to excuse every incompetence, negligence or outrage.

Or, of course, they could blame it on the foreigners(farangs)for being here as the cause......

[Mobi]

While running the risk of increasing the searching dilligence, I must say I question the use of looking inside the boot (trunk) of a car, without examining the contents. Like my big tennis bag, which could easily house a sizeable load of <you know what I mean>. Even a huge golf bag is never checked. So posturing for the public, not really security. Annoying, but part of the daily routine. And slamming the boot-lid shut as if he was closing the tomb of an Egyptian Farao for eternity...

Edit for spelling.

Of course it's just a total farce.

If you're driving a car with a boot, they open the boot and give it a cursory glance. If you're driving an SUV, usually with dark tinted windows, they just look underneath with their mirror but make no attempt to look inside the back (or front ) of the SUV. It could be jammed pack full of explosives.

[peacemakers]

Two months ago, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya were checking all cars with a metal detector at their entrance to find out if there any bomb coming to the building, but now seems to stop doing that.

[Cuban]

...all cars with a metal detector at their entrance to find out if there any bomb coming to the building, but now seems to stop doing that.

They probably stopped as most cars (being made of metal) set off the detector?

An Explosives Sniffer would have been a more sensible choice, but they are expensive and require maintaining and basic skilled operatives to use them. I had the "pleasure" of using one during an interesting period of my life some 20 years ago.

How the basic security staff (Thai or otherwise) deal with either a false positive from a sniffer test or visual suspect device would be an interesting thing to know (or see in real life).

In locations where there are processes in place to deal with these situations they practice and drill the staff so that they react to order by number. I believe the turn over of security staff makes this very difficult to setup and maintain in Thailand.