While off topic, I think it's important to note that the Southern unrest applies specifically to the former Pattani state, where ethnic Malay/Yawi speaking people live. That's a very different ethnic background from most Muslim Thais, who are very much Thai and live all over Thailand, though more in the Southern provinces, but North of the Deep South: Pattani, Narithiwat, Yala and parts of Songkhla.

It's more a territorial /ethnic background dispute than a religious one. Same same Northern Ireland before, or possibly even Palestine. The root cause is not religion, the root cause is "We want this piece of land for ourselves and throw out anyone not like us."

He says that violence like we saw before could happen again, not that specific events will repeat themselves. certainly, attacks on shopping malls are within the realm of possibility, but he does not list shopping malls as a specific target.

He says that violence like we saw before could happen again, not that specific events will repeat themselves. certainly, attacks on shopping malls are within the realm of possibility, but he does not list shopping malls as a specific target.

The connection was made to SOUTH THAILAND, where malls and an airport have been attacked. Stop nit picking, please, the idea of the poll is valid. Sometimes terrorists like SOFT TARGETS. The last time I was in the Philippines, they had guards with machine guns at the malls, so please do not act like this isn't within the realm of possibility in Thailand.

Pls. scroll up to the poll results, and you have the collective readership's answer to the above.

Pls. scroll up to the poll results, and you have the collective readership's answer to the above.

Yes, that's true. What's your point?

He says that violence like we saw before could happen again, not that specific events will repeat themselves. certainly, attacks on shopping malls are within the realm of possibility, but he does not list shopping malls as a specific target.

The connection was made to SOUTH THAILAND, where malls and an airport have been attacked. Stop nit picking, please, the idea of the poll is valid. Sometimes terrorists like SOFT TARGETS. The last time I was in the Philippines, they had guards with machine guns at the malls, so please do not act like this isn't within the realm of possibility in Thailand.

Everything under the sun has been attacked in SOUTH THAILAND.

Teachers have been pulled from school buses and decapitated.

Perhaps the next poll should be about avoiding riding in school buses?

The red apologists are working overtime to reduce the connection of the reds to terrorism in the public's mind. The fact is that malls are a potential target for terrorists worldwide, a simple google will show you that. Take a break and let people clean up the damage for awhile, why don't you?

No, i'm not going to reduce my use of malls in Thailand.

I'm spanish and i'm used to terrorism. If you change your costums... terrorism wins.

Pls. scroll up to the poll results, and you have the collective readership's answer to the above.

Yes, that's true. What's your point?

Perhaps his point is that seeing as the majority of people who have voted in the poll have said that they will continue to use shopping malls as usual, the threat of attack must therefore be insignificant.

My guess would be however that the reason why most people voting in the poll will continue to use malls as before isn't because they believe the threat is insignificant, but because they refuse to live their lives in fear or change their habits for the sake of these cold-blooded animals. It's only a guess though...

On the one hand you have Germans, Spanish, English, Irish and some others who have lived with true terrorism obviously have a different outlook on life than the Americans and Australians and others who have had little to do with terrorism in their daily lives except for the odd incidents.

Seems to me that a lot of those who cannot really relate to terrorism on a daily basis start polls like this one and also keep claiming all red shirts are terrorists when they have little idea in reality. It is like saying all the Irish were terrorists, all the Germans and all the Spanish etc.

Get on with your daily life and stop pussy footing around looking for more possible incidents and ways to try and put fear into people for Gods sake.

Stop with the unfounded insults already. I NEVER said all reds were terrorists. I also NEVER said people SHOULD avoid the malls. Yes, I think some reds are terrorists and I know for a fact (as does any informed person) that globally terrorists see public places such as malls and markets as potential targets. The poll was just to gauge the CURRENT level of anxiety about that issue. Not entirely fantastical considering the actions of the reds at Central World. Cheers.

No, i'm not going to reduce my use of malls in Thailand.

I'm spanish and i'm used to terrorism. If you change your costums... terrorism wins.

Unfortunately, that's rather cliched.

Lets start a poll on visiting Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy two very juicy terriost targets.

Yes, I'm planning to frequent the chilly malls with their (at times) unfriendly staff less in the near future, esp. a mall called Central World... Wait...

Lets start a poll on visiting Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy two very juicy terriost targets.

Not really, too much collateral damage and loss of residual income amongst the home team

Went out to Siam yesterday, glad to be able to get out again.

Less time in the malls and more in the bar

You have more chance of being struck by lightning twice in the same day than being involved in a terrorist attack.

OP sounds like he has moved on from Drama Queen to Panic Queen

that's the first time I hear about terrorist acts against shopping malls, so I will put it simply as a rumour and a smearing political campaign against opposition.

on monday there will be a discussion in the parliament and a vote of no confidence against PM and four ministers, there might be a snap election and new government coming up shortly

Just watch Al Jazeera, the report was there. Also many times the press has reported Thaksin's "prediction" that if the reds in Bangkok were broken up that he "feared" the reds would become an underground "guerilla war" movement. What do you think such warriors do? They attack.

Al Jazeera? LOL...consider the source...

And, yes, I know they are a fairly credible second source, but they DO have an agenda.

Honestly, JingThing, I had come to expect better of you.

Al Jazeera? LOL...consider the source...

And, yes, I know they are a fairly credible second source, but they DO have an agenda.

And you i suppose don't?

Less time in the malls and more in the bar

Yes but the chicks in the malls are better looking than the chicks in the bars.....

Deaths that arise from a political protest do not change the definition of the protesters.

If deaths are being caused by protesters, of course it changes how we define them. How could it not?

Ah. Now I'm waiting to hear what we will call the military.

(Reminder: dozens of protesters and a few journalists got slaughtered, most of them unarmed, or carrying only stuff you'd find in any garden shed.)

We call the military soldiers Winnie and people who attack them (no matter what the implement of attack) as the reds certainly did, should expect to be attacked in return and with interest. This isn't some sort of a Victorian gentleman's duel in which soldiers have a moral duty to only be armed to the same level as their attackers.

Glass marbles fired from slingshots can be lethal and whilst you might have been the type of soldier to say "well if the blighter gets me with a lucky shot then so be it", i would not.

If unarmed protestors are helping and protecting armed protestors, that makes them all armed.

Rarely do I go to a mall. Tops Market is in Central Festival here and I go there one every few months, as they have the only good toilet paper on the island! Is Big C considered a mall? I go there about as often as Tops. I know where to get most everything else at a Thai shop or market for less than the big malls. But I have heard from friends that go to Central Festival here that they have increased security. Mirrors to look under cars before entering the parking garage, metal detectors sweeping planter boxes, more police presence... Hmm, like they do anything other than drink coffee!

I go there one every few months, as they have the only good toilet paper on the island!

Tell me you are buying the toliet rolls from the shop and not stealing it out the toilet in the shop...