Is Thailand Equipped?

[Thomas_Merton]

Do you feel the Thai authorities are doing all they can to prevent a terrorist attack?

Are there areas where there could be improvement considering the size and congestion of BKK, and the nature of the tourist resorts?

Should visa restrictions be sharpened up? Should there be intensified campaigns against illegal immigrants and illegal workers?

What about border security?

How could Thailand reassure potential tourists they have nothing to fear?

What could you do to improve security?

Edited July 25, 2005 by Thomas_Merton

[khall64au]

Do you feel the Thai authorities are doing all they can to prevent a terrorist attack?

Are there areas where there could be improvement considering the size and congestion of BKK, and the nature of the tourist resorts?

Should visa restrictions be sharpened up? Should there be intensified campaigns against illegal immigrants and illegal workers?

What about border security?

How could Thailand reassure potential tourists they have nothing to fear?

What could you do to improve security?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Have the guards at Central Phuket actually LOOK at the mirrors they efficiently run under all vehicles... for a start!

[johna]

Thailand is not at any acceptable level of security to defeat a terrorist attack, very few countries are. As you can see in the south,attacks against both civilian and government targets occur on a daily basis, with the introduction of emergency powers it becomes obvious that the government does not have a thought out policy towards defeating terrorists. There are muslims living in every area in the country and why there has not been an attack against a tourist area is probably because they are not well enough organized. It seems from todays newspaper that 18% of British muslims have sympathy for the london bombers and it would not surprise me if the figure were higher in Thailand. Suggest you read "DINING WITH TERRORISTS" by Phil Rees who gives a very vivid account of what muslims think of non muslims and in particular the west. Visa restrictions will not help as the attacks at the moment come from Thai muslims.

[psychosid10]

Considering London has been bombed recently with precise timing and planning , followed by another failed attack when the Police were On highest alert , i dont think any level of security will prevent an attack in bangkok..

Bangkok can be (& seeing the south scene , it might well be) attacked whenever THEY want to.. Its just upto them to decide when they want to attack,which in turn depends on what time will hurt Thais (& the pro-america community) the most.

i agree with johna on the fact that VISA restrictions wont make a iota of a difference coz not even a single terrorist attack is possible without internal help.. and as far as muslim sentiments towards bombers is concerned , i agree 100% with johna that no muslim in the world is against the bombings. They are either supporting it OR just to stay in the main stream , they would falsely stay neutral with statements like "well whats happen is sad , but whats happening in Iraq is worse .. we should stop that first " which evidently means " this is a revenge for iraq war " .. There is no solution to this .. we have seen this happen in kashmir , indonesia , madrid , Ny , london , and now Egypt ..

A TERRORISM AND BANGKOK

So lets cross our fingers & hope it does not happen in LOS.. & good sense will prevail over those who are backing this ..

Edited July 25, 2005 by psychosid10

[LadyinRed]

I hope this will never happen in Thailand. The Thais already have a hard time fighting the enemies within.

I don't doubt Thailand is an 'easy target' but what will terrorism achieve here? (apart from making lives more miserable than it is for those hit by joblessness, tsunami, rising petrol costs, etc.)

A political agenda is fruitless here besides making the world a lot more crazier than it already is. JMO.

[Harmonica]

Considering London has been bombed  recently with precise timing and planning , followed by another failed attack when the Police were On highest alert , i dont think any level of security will prevent an attack in bangkok..

Bangkok can be (& seeing the south scene , it might well be)  attacked whenever THEY want to.. Its just upto them to decide when they want to attack,which in turn depends on what time will hurt Thais (& the pro-america community) the most.

i agree with johna on the fact that VISA restrictions wont make a iota of a difference coz  not even a single terrorist attack is possible without internal help.. and as far as muslim sentiments towards bombers is concerned , i agree 100% with johna that no muslim in the world is against the bombings. They are either supporting it OR just to stay in the main stream , they would falsely stay neutral with statements like "well whats happen is sad , but whats happening in Iraq is worse .. we should stop that first " which evidently means " this is a revenge for iraq war " .. There is no solution to this .. we have seen this happen in kashmir , indonesia , madrid , Ny , london , and now Egypt ..

A TERRORISM AND BANGKOK

So lets cross our fingers & hope it does not happen in LOS.. & good sense will prevail over those who are backing this ..

Please you use a larger size font.

[bendix]

It is utterly stupid to say that no muslim in the world is against the bombings. What a crock of nonsense.

Putting aside personal observations (I work with two muslim girls here in Bangkok and both of them think the bombings are evil, atrocious and counterproductive), but time and again the moderate (and mainstream) muslim leaders have repeatedly condemned such attacks as anti-democratic and anti-islamic.

After the London bombs, the Muslim Council of Britain condemned the attacks and said there was no justification for them. After Madrid, the Spanish Muslim leaders said the same. General Musharef, the head of islamic state of Pakistan, is currently considering ordering a fatwah against the extremists, and he's not alone.

Such xenophobic, anti-islamic nonsense is just playing into the extremists hands. They WANT to demonise Islam and it seems like most people are stupid enough to fall for it (thanks largely to the moronic masses who get their world information from Fox TV newsbites).

[psychosid10]

WHEN YOU SAY "Such xenophobic, anti-islamic nonsense is just playing into the extremists hands. They WANT to demonise Islam and it seems like most people are stupid enough to fall for it (thanks largely to the moronic masses who get their world information from Fox TV newsbites)." I WONDER WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HOW TERRORISM WORKS ??

WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CONDEMNATION AND REGRETALS OF MUSLIMS LEADERS AND that too .. MUSHARRAF . HAAH !! .. Have you heard of Kashmir dear Bendix.. i was born there and i had to flee my home in my own country because of terrorism at the age of 9 .. terrorism sponsored by you know whom..

its very simple , Nobody wants hatred . nobody wants to kill .. a normal human being would love to compromise on issues such as religion & beliefs for the sake of peace. But in this case They Wont..

The thing here is No religion is wrong but the way its interpreted is wrong..

So Dear bendix , it seems you are more influenced by the opinion of a couple of friends and some pseudo statements of some organisations (just to keep them alive in those countries).

No offence meant .. think twice before you rubbish anyone's opinion..

[bendix]

no religion is wrong . . .the way it is interpreted is wrong.

EXACTLY my point. But the earlier poster, by making a comment saying that NO muslim disagreed with the bombers, is implying that islam equals extremist suicide bombers, and that's plainly not the truth.

Fact: India has the second largest muslim population in the world. Do you see much evidence of islamic terrorism there?

I repeat. Most ordinary muslims are interested in just the things you and I are - family, getting ahead in life, the fortunes of their favourite soccer teams, their love life, their kids.

To tar an entire faith based on the behaviour of a few is as stupid as saying that all Christains are evil because a minority of protestants and catholics have beek killing each other in Ireland for the last 100 years.

Extremists are extremists.

[Thetyim]

The thing here is No religion is wrong but the way its interpreted is wrong..

I'm with you 100% on that

[bendix]

As for the original post . . is Thailand ready for a terrorist attack?

Of course not. It's impossible to be ready for a terrorist attack. That's the whole point of them . . they can't be defended. How can any country defend itself against suicide bombers? Even if they win a physical battle and put up blockades, road checks, hotel security or even a huge wall around every target, the terrorists will have won a victory of sorts.

[Davey]

Do you feel the Thai authorities are doing all they can to prevent a terrorist attack?

Are there areas where there could be improvement considering the size and congestion of BKK, and the nature of the tourist resorts?

Should visa restrictions be sharpened up? Should there be intensified campaigns against illegal immigrants and illegal workers?

What about border security?

How could Thailand reassure potential tourists they have nothing to fear?

What could you do to improve security?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Isn't Thailand being sort of terroised at present in the south? Maybe not to the extent at which London was on 7/7, but considering 800 people have died in the last 18 months due to violence in the south by predomenantaly muslim seperatists I would say that their is a sense a terrorism and although this is confined to the southern most provinces, who is to say the are not planning anything larger scale in somewhere like Bangkok or Phuket, if the English government could not prevent these attacks I very much doubt that tha Thai government could

[Thomas_Merton]

... if the English government could not prevent these attacks I very much doubt that tha Thai government could

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

True. But there are always lessons to be learnt and elementary precautions to be taken.

What I am trying to find out, is do members notice any increase in security?

Is the general feeling in BKK or the other major tourists resorts, that everything is being done that can be done?

Do you feel apprehensive yet secure, or is the feeling more - if it happens, it happens?

Or is there just a general apathy?

Edited July 25, 2005 by Thomas_Merton

[meom]

I don't bother too much. There's something like plus 60 million people living in LOS. Chances of me becoming a victim of a terrorist attack are small and probably smaller than the risk of becoming a victim of a car accident.

[Nam Kao]

>>There are muslims living in every area in the country

None in my area thank God

Edited July 25, 2005 by Nam Kao

[Davey]

I don't bother too much. There's something like plus 60 million people living in LOS. Chances of me becoming a victim of a terrorist attack are small and probably smaller than the risk of becoming a victim of a car accident.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't you think the victims of the Londons attacks had this perception?

[meom]

I don't bother too much. There's something like plus 60 million people living in LOS. Chances of me becoming a victim of a terrorist attack are small and probably smaller than the risk of becoming a victim of a car accident.

Don't you think the victims of the Londons attacks had this perception?

Probably everybody had this perception and 50 victims out of everybody is not a lot.Depends on your priorities.

[bendix]

The amazing thing about the London attacks is the Londoner's response to it. They just get up the next day and life goes back to normal . . . all very stoic. To me the key to this is that people who live in London or the UK have grown up with the ever-present threat of such attacks (from the IRA) and we take it in our stride these days. In fact, it's accepted pretty much as a part of life.

I recall being in London when security scares were happening every couple of days. There would be a suspect device (cue Stiff Little Fingers refrain) at a tube station and people would just sigh, grumble a little and file past it without worrying. No panic, just boredom that it's happening again.

I also lived in Manchester in the mid-1990s. I lived there at the time of the city centre bomb which, frankly, destroyed the cbd. It happened on a Saturday morning so noone was killed despite the extent of the devastation. Monday morning comes round, and every heads into work as if it's all very normal.

Rule Britannia etc etc

[lingling]

Isn't Thailand being sort of terroised at present in the south? Maybe not to the extent at which London was on 7/7, but considering 800 people have died in the last 18 months due to violence in the south by predomenantaly muslim seperatists

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

"not to the extent"...? 800 dead is a lot more than the 50-60 that died in London.

[donna]

I lost a friend in the London bombing.

He lost his best friend in 9/11.

It can happen to anyone, anywhere.

[Neeranam]

Or is there just a general apathy?

There is general apathy. If Thailand started checking all the muslims on Sukhumvit soi 3 and elsewhere in Bangkok, it would give the terrorists a reason to bomb us here. Toxin is bad but not nearly as bad as Blair and the British government.