Bombs Destroy Immigration Posts In Southern Thailand

[sabaijai]

Bombs Destroy Immigration Posts In Southern Thailand

GOLOK (Southern Thailand), Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Two bombs exploded at the Malaysia-Thailand checkpoint this morning, destroying three new posts belonged to the Thai immigration at the Golok bridge.

The first bomb went off at 6.30am local time (7.30am Malaysian time), destroying three of the six posts.

Fifteen minutes later another bomb exploded nearby, forcing the closure of the busy bridge which connects Golok in Thailand and Rantau Panjang in Kelantan, Malaysia.

Thai deputy consul-general in Malaysia, Niran Boonjit, told Bernama that no one was injured in the incident.

"The posts will be used by the immigration department as temporary office and have not started operations yet. There was nobody near the place when the explosions occurred," he said.

A Thai police spokesman told Bernama in Bangkok that both bombs, weighing one and two kilograms, were triggered using digital watches.

Members of the media were not allowed near the scene.

The bridge, which is opened daily between 6am and 10pm, had been reopened and the situation returned to normal.

"The situation is under control. Everything is back to normal at the entry gate," Niran said.

A worker at the checkpoint, Mokhtar Che Mat, said workers, fearing for their safety, ran helter-skelter for cover upon hearing the explosions.

A tour guide, Shaari Jusoh, said the loud explosions could he heard in Rantau Panjang, some 300 metres away.

Kelantan police chief, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi, when contacted, said police were on the alert and had taken steps to ensure safety at the border.

He reminded Malaysians to be extra careful when visiting restive southern Thailand provinces.

More than 3,500 people have died since suspected separatists resumed their armed campaign to seek independence for the three Muslim-majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.

Meanwhile, a Thai police source said, the latest bombings were the work of separatist movements.

The source believed that the incident was targeted at scaring the authorities and not towards civilians.

"The two bombs are man-made," the source said.

Security remained tight in the area with police personnel seen conducting checks on vehicles.

-- BERNAMA

[samuibeachcomber]

any chance this post could be aded to the southern thailand forum and samui.KPN,Tao forum too as a lot of people do visa runs to sungai kolok and should be made aware of what has happened.

[PoorSucker]

"The two bombs are man-made," the source said.

[angiud]

Some disappointed visa-runner?

[bangon04]

"The two bombs are man-made," the source said.

Maybe they mean that they were not "borrowed" from the arsenal of a Thai garrison....

[TAWP]

Of course they are referring to the fact that it is most likely IED's and not off-the-shelf solutions that was used for these bombings.

[Scott]

In which case they aren't man-made????

Seems the installation of a new gov't hasn't slowed things down very much.

[phuketsunsets]

Bombs Destroy Immigration Posts In Southern Thailand

GOLOK (Southern Thailand), Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Two bombs exploded at the Malaysia-Thailand checkpoint this morning, destroying three new posts belonged to the Thai immigration at the Golok bridge.

The first bomb went off at 6.30am local time (7.30am Malaysian time), destroying three of the six posts.

Fifteen minutes later another bomb exploded nearby, forcing the closure of the busy bridge which connects Golok in Thailand and Rantau Panjang in Kelantan, Malaysia.

Thai deputy consul-general in Malaysia, Niran Boonjit, told Bernama that no one was injured in the incident.

"The posts will be used by the immigration department as temporary office and have not started operations yet. There was nobody near the place when the explosions occurred," he said.

bugger , i work out of kota bharu offshore . and some expath collegues go there on crew change to buy goodies and so on .. i wonder if it is safe to go there still . i hate my head to be shot off or missing a limb just buying a DVD or so before going to work

A Thai police spokesman told Bernama in Bangkok that both bombs, weighing one and two kilograms, were triggered using digital watches.

Members of the media were not allowed near the scene.

The bridge, which is opened daily between 6am and 10pm, had been reopened and the situation returned to normal.

"The situation is under control. Everything is back to normal at the entry gate," Niran said.

A worker at the checkpoint, Mokhtar Che Mat, said workers, fearing for their safety, ran helter-skelter for cover upon hearing the explosions.

A tour guide, Shaari Jusoh, said the loud explosions could he heard in Rantau Panjang, some 300 metres away.

Kelantan police chief, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi, when contacted, said police were on the alert and had taken steps to ensure safety at the border.

He reminded Malaysians to be extra careful when visiting restive southern Thailand provinces.

More than 3,500 people have died since suspected separatists resumed their armed campaign to seek independence for the three Muslim-majority provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala.

Meanwhile, a Thai police source said, the latest bombings were the work of separatist movements.

The source believed that the incident was targeted at scaring the authorities and not towards civilians.

"The two bombs are man-made," the source said.

Security remained tight in the area with police personnel seen conducting checks on vehicles.

-- BERNAMA

[12DrinkMore]

A Thai police spokesman told Bernama in Bangkok that both bombs, weighing one and two kilograms, were triggered using digital watches.

Oh jesus, now we'll have to register our digital watches as well as our mobile phones.

[serpentine]

Strange someone could plant a bomb at that office. I was there last year and it seemed very amicable. I didn't notice much security (apart from the actual border) which surprised me as it is a hot spot. There were many soldiers in the town. I would have thought anyone even approaching the border would be watched, from both sides.

[sunsamourai]

"The two bombs are man-made," the source said.

As opposed to the last bombings, were they just sent an elephant herd to fart...

[Erich]

Strange someone could plant a bomb at that office. I was there last year and it seemed very amicable. I didn't notice much security (apart from the actual border) which surprised me as it is a hot spot. There were many soldiers in the town. I would have thought anyone even approaching the border would be watched, from both sides.

The bombs went off at the border complex, that is far away from the Immigration office in town Sungai Kolok. There is no fear that you have to move to another Immigration.

[sibeymai]

Now I understand why the Thai government wants to issue free visas.....reduction of service level.