Is Thailand A Viable Terrorist Target?

[dave9988]

-There is an ethnic war going on in the south of Thailand

-There are tons of Western tourists in Thailand

-PAD showed the world the current level of the Thai police's authority and intelligence by taking over multiple airports and getting into the control tower

-Its very easy to get a visa to travel to Thailand

-There were previous reports from the CIA warning about potential attacks in SouthEast Asia.

???

Edited December 4, 2008 by dave9988

[londonthai]

the separatists fighting in the south is against the representatives of the thai state, tourists are harmed only by chance, they are not a target.

somehow I don't see, that some militants are going to do some job in thailand, the country is not actively involved in the worlds hot issues (middle east, iraque, afghanistan).

[bigchang]

thailand got their own terrorists,they do enough damage

bc

[PhilHarries]

The answer has to be an emphatic yes. Thailand has large numbers of western tourists and residents amongst whom are the current prime targets of British and American citizens. Thailand also has large numbers of middle eastern tourists amongst whom could be any number of fanatics. Thailand is a place where the rules and laws are distorted and the right money, the right contacts can get the right materials.

Therefore all the terms of the equation are present all it needs is the right sequence.

Will it happen? Will we see a terrorist outrage like Mumbai? Well it happened in Bali, so we'd be naive in the extreme if we were to say it will not. The fact that Thailand is a fairly easy going fun loving, until recently, place is irrelevant as the perpetrators are likely not to be Thai and the easy going culture makes it easier.

Does it warrant a reaction of mass paranoia, extreme suspicion of certain sections of society, a siege mentality?

In my opinion an equally emphatic no is the anwer. Yes we have to be more careful in our daily actions and we have to be more alert and vigilant but at the same time we have to get on with life. We Brits have been through this with the IRA in the '70's and we didn't curl up in a little ball in the corner we just got on with it.

Keep it in mind but don't worry yourself to death about it. It's like that ten wheeler coming down the road. Will the brakes fail, is the driver asleep or on drugs? There are a whole host of disaster scenario in the making but do you run away and hide? No, we avoid the obvious dangers but accept that anything from a faulty electrical appliance to a piece of space debris could end our days and just get on with living.

[Boksida]

Thailand has already had international terrorist attacks. I remember the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok being occupied by Black September members in 1972. This had a bizarre 'only in Thailand' ending. A truck bomb attack in 1994, again on the Israeli Embassy, was planned by Yousef Salameh who had ties to the bombing of the World Trade Center. This attack was foiled by a samlor driver who had a traffic accident with bomb truck. Hambali, the mastermind behind the Bali bombings, was also captured in Thailand.

[geriatrickid]

Yes, but as others have pointed out, it will be foreigners carrying out the attacks. Ideal place to do it. Weapons easily available, no effective police authority, no infrastructure security and a laissez faire attitude.

Edited December 5, 2008 by geriatrickid

[Ulysses G.]

ANYWHERE that would give them publicity is a viable terrorist target and the more people they can slaugter the better, but it is not as easy to attack Thai targets as it would seem from recent events.

The PAD were practically given the Keys to the City by the Military and there was no serious attempt to stop them from doing whatever they wanted to.Thais are actually pretty switched on about what is going on here and any outside forces would meet a lot of resistance from well trained troops.

Edited December 5, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[wasabi]

I think though it could be easily done but the desire to do it here is significantly lower than India. Though westerners were targeted in India, the attackers were also enemies of India. Thailand's foes who have at best a mild animosity with Thailand are a few other SEA nations who don't have the will or sophistication to do it. The big time players in Arab nations don't appear to be focusing on South east Asian nations at this time. It could happen here but I don't think the red flag needs to be waved.

Edited December 5, 2008 by wasabi

[APMann]

Recent events must surely demonstrate the ease with which a well-planned attack might be executed in Thailand at almost any target. Unprofessional police and army, poor security, rampant corruption, and the laissez faire attitude of Thais all help with this perception.

The internationalisation of the Southern problem, an escalation, looking for attention - to get the gvernment to notice them (was the PAD terrorists line I think). Any and no excuse could be found for launching an attack here, but as others have said; be aware of the risk but don't let it ruin your holiday.

[Gertrude]

Very doubtful!

[MJP]

I'm astounded a certain place on the eastern seaboard, frequented by a particular breed of western 'tourist' never got hit.

[Jingthing]

It is a definite risk. If Bali was a target, Thailand may be a target also.

[bassmaster50]

The novel, Pattaya 24/7, by Christopher Moore is a very believable story, in my opinion, about a terrorist attack against Pattaya. It would be fairly easy for Islamic terrorists to carry out an attack in Thailand. My personal opinion, however, is that it is not high on the al-Qaeda target list, other wise it would already have happened. I think the absence of U.S. military bases here makes it less of a target, and since there will soon be very few western tourists here anyway, it will be even less so.

[Scott]

I don't think it's a target--at least hope not. It would be a good place, but I think instead, a lot of terrorists use it as a hiding place and transit point. Easy to get in and out and little scrutiny by the authorities.

I am sure plenty of plots have been hatched here.

[ThaiEye]

The United States and Europe and under threat of a serious terrorist attack more than Thailand!

Perhaps Thailand ought to issue a Travel Warning to Turkey every time a football hooligan dies in a clash.

Ought to issue a Travel Warning to England every time there are riots like in Bradford and definitely when The Tube gets bombed.

Ought to issue a Travel Warning to Spain when a train gets attacked.

Ought to issue a Travel Warning to The States when a building gets attacked.

Ought to issue a Travel Warning to China when hundreds are slaughtered in Tibet

Oh...... come on.... take a look in the mirror - things are just as bad and actually a lot more dangerous in our own countries!

Edited December 5, 2008 by ThaiEye

[BrideHunter]

In todays current climate, the whole world is a terrorist target - but obviously certain areas are more likely to be hit.

[jdinasia]

What place is NOT a viable terror target?

[misterman21]

Be scared of the boogey man - terrorists are everywhere and they want to hurt you

[PhilHarries]

Oh...... come on.... take a look in the mirror - things are just as bad and actually a lot more dangerous in our own countries!

The question was not about governments issuing travel warnings. It was is Thailand a viable terrorist target? The answer being yes, more so by the inactivity of the putty like police.

Scott raises a good point in that some terrorist sympathisers, if not the terrorists themselves, use Thailand as a base so they are unlikely to sh1t in their own backyard.

As for the question where is not a viable terrorist target I think Mr bin Laden's little mountainside pad is safe from terrorist attack depending on your definition of terrorist.

[jdinasia]

Oh...... come on.... take a look in the mirror - things are just as bad and actually a lot more dangerous in our own countries!

The question was not about governments issuing travel warnings. It was is Thailand a viable terrorist target? The answer being yes, more so by the inactivity of the putty like police.

Scott raises a good point in that some terrorist sympathisers, if not the terrorists themselves, use Thailand as a base so they are unlikely to sh1t in their own backyard.

As for the question where is not a viable terrorist target I think Mr bin Laden's little mountainside pad is safe from terrorist attack depending on your definition of terrorist.

Sorry Phil ... but I bet whatever country that tall skinny guy carrying a portable dialysis machine happens to be in has had terror attacks in it within the last month.

[wileycoyote]

Yes, an easy target

[mittheimp]

one of the reason Bali was chosen was because of the perceived hedonism of the tourists. It could easily have been Pattaya, Patong, or certain places in BKK. The best reason for optimism is that it hasnt been targetted yet - when it so easily could have been.

[Xangsamhua]

It happened not long ago...

BBC October 6, 1999.

Bangkok siege 'stank of conspiracy'

By the BBC's Charlotte Bevan in Bangkok

In its Wednesday edition, Burma's state media, the New Light of Myanmar, said the siege at the Burmese Embassy in Bangkok over the weekend could have a negative impact on the relationship between Thailand and Burma.

While officially Burmese military leaders are telling the Thais that they are relieved at the peaceful end to the siege, Burma's state media -- renowned for its use of strong language -- said that the whole embassy affair was fishy to say the least, and stank of conspiracy.

After holding 40 people hostage for 26 hours, the gunmen were transported by helicopter to the Thai/Burma border last Saturday with no-one being seriously injured.

Thailand's prime minister has admitted that lapses in intelligence and security resulted in the embassy being taken by storm.

[Jingthing]

Well, the Bali bombings served to hurt Bali tourism and at least for some time, it did.

Thailand tourism has already been severely damaaged, so it be like kicking somebody already down, so perhaps that makes Thailand a less attractive target for the time being.