"The 10 locations people have been urged to stay away from are Victory Monument, the Major Ratchayothin cinema complex, Seacon Square, CentralWorld, Khao San Road, Chitralada Palace, Si Sao Thewes, Mor Chit bus terminal, Soi Nana and Pata Pinklao."

So celebrating everywhere else will be safe, or.....?

"Officers at all 88 police precincts have been ordered to go on standby during the December 8-17 and December 20-January 3 periods, in addition to attending to their regular jobs."

So 18-19 December will be safe, or.....?

"Security will not just be heightened during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, but police will also keep a watchful eye on drug dealing, theft and burglary and murder cases."

So they will now finally start doing what they are paid for, or.....?

Here's a new year tip - stay away from pubs operating under a noodle vendors license.

Here's a new year tip - stay away from pubs operating under a noodle vendors license.

Why not just stay away from Thailand in December?

I dont socialise anymore so i will just sit at home and drink a bottle of Hong Thong ! New Years Eve has always been grossly over rated anyway.

I'm okay with some bottles of horse beer in the lower north east, get laid by some nice Isanjero girls and enjoy life. Could be shorter than expected anyways.

How many people at Kao San road would wait for a blasting bomb????? Thailand the hub of" World Class Threats"?

Who are these bomb threats comming from?

Who are these bomb threats comming from?

Chalerm.

one also has to think WHY and WHO with "bombs" in Thailand.

"Terrorists" as a description is vitally redundant - it means nothing more than "boogieman"

Bombs in Thailand tend to have a financial aspect - tasters, business, politicians rather than any particular disaffected ethic or religious group.

but it makes life simpler for the police to invoke this boogieman from time to time - just look at this thread and see how many swallow that line of crap.

Last time I looked it was Muslims doing the bombing.

They are a real threat here in Thailand.

They have assasanated more people here in Thailand than they have in any other country in the world.

How are they making money out of that?

What freedoms are people losing when the police add extra security and warn people of the possibility of bombing?

It is not like it has never happened in Bangkok before.

I presume the people are not wanting to set bombs off.

Yes that is a freedom that they are going to do every thing in their power to deny you.

So my holiday from working in Afghanistan this New Years will basically be the same threat level . The misses and I been thinking bout what Koh Larn has to offer for New Years anyways.

Have a great Holiday guys

"Chitralada Palace, Si Sao Thewes,"

The rest of the potential bomb sites are crowded tourist areas, but these two have some interesting political implications!

Pata Pinklao? No tourists there. And rather surprising choice as Central Pinklao is just down the road and has much, much larger crowds there. Even the Tesco Lotus has more people than Pata.

Pata Pinklao- maybe no tourists but obviously something "strategic" there. As example; I can see Imperial Lad Prao clearly from my balcony, and if you have ever been to the 5th and 6th floors above the arena there, it is an interestingly red experience. The building has become a "sensitive area" before, and could again.

The other potential target... unthinkable Speechless that any Thai could even consider this.

In there eyes first things first and the first thing is they are Muslim and a lot of them don't want to be Thai.

Look at the work of the devout Muslims in Afghanistan.

In there eyes first things first and the first thing is they are Muslim and a lot of them don't want to be Thai.

Look at the work of the devout Muslims in Afghanistan.

I think the muslims in Afghanistan have good reason not to want to be Thai.

Last time I looked it was Muslims doing the bombing.

They are a real threat here in Thailand.

They have assasanated more people here in Thailand than they have in any other country in the world.

How are they making money out of that?

What freedoms are people losing when the police add extra security and warn people of the possibility of bombing?

It is not like it has never happened in Bangkok before.

I presume the people are not wanting to set bombs off.

Yes that is a freedom that they are going to do every thing in their power to deny you.

"It is not like it has never happened in Bangkok before."

When has there ever been a bombing in Bangkok attributed to Muslims?

"Chitralada Palace, Si Sao Thewes,"

The rest of the potential bomb sites are crowded tourist areas, but these two have some interesting political implications!

Pata Pinklao? No tourists there. And rather surprising choice as Central Pinklao is just down the road and has much, much larger crowds there. Even the Tesco Lotus has more people than Pata.

Good remark. Pata is realy old fashioned and on its return since longtime. Central Pinklao is a worldclass shopping.

So Soi Cowboy it is again this year of the 31st - much better anyway :-)

The 10 locations people have been urged to stay away from are Victory Monument, the Major Ratchayothin cinema complex, Seacon Square, CentralWorld, Khao San Road, Chitralada Palace, Si Sao Thewes, Mor Chit bus terminal, Soi Nana and Pata Pinklao.

Anti-riot units, tourism and traffic police, and the police commando unit have been put in charge of the operations and will get additional support from military police and municipal policemen under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.

ok, can we please have precise and true reporting please:

are there bomb threats for these sites

*OR*

are these sites at risk of becoming bomb targets

2 very different things

Read the Thai version and you'll probably find out. Lots of stuff gets lost in translation. But it seems quite clear to me what is meant. Have another read of the article and see if you can work it out.

Bangkok on New Year security alert: PM

BANGKOK, December 14, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand's premier on Wednesday urged authorities to be vigilant after police said they were boosting security at top tourist spots and retail areas in the capital during New Year celebrations.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she had instructed the army to monitor events during the festivities and she herself would be on standby.

"I told the army, police and interior ministry to work closely together, especially over New Year so that people can enjoy the celebration," she told reporters.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Police have said areas such as the upmarket shopping mall Central World, where a countdown event will be held, and the Khao San Road backpacker district were put on high alert after an incomplete bomb was found in the city last week.

Some of the sites involved, including Central World, were targeted in a series of coordinated nail bomb blasts in 2006 that killed three people and injured more than 30, forcing the cancellation of New Year's celebrations.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-12-14

Extreme tourism.....miracle Thailand

dam_n! So "Saxophone" is out- Patpong is in!

I dont socialise anymore so i will just sit at home and drink a bottle of Hong Thong ! New Years Eve has always been grossly over rated anyway.

YES,Amateur Night.

Why are posters going on about Muslims?

They weren't behind the many lethal bomb attacks on New Year's Eve 2006/2007 in Bangkok.

One off-topic post has been removed.

snip...

"Officers at all 88 police precincts have been ordered to go on standby during the December 8-17 and December 20-January 3 periods, in addition to attending to their regular jobs."

So 18-19 December will be safe, or.....?

....snip

I would guess 18-19 Dec will be very unsafe now since the police have just notified any wannabee bomber that they will be a bit thin on the ground on those dates

Chuwit is funny, but Chalerm is even better, he should be in charge of writing soap operas, his story lines are so absurd.

Geez I just hope those policemen who have been "guarding" that non-descript house in my soi have been notified.After 2 years+ of non stop TV soap operas ,eating food from the ladies who abut the aforementioned "guard-zone , reading the newspaper and then having the occasional snooze . Please be on guard-You will not be able to watch the new Years Count down on the Telly-you are hereby ordered to turn the telly off and to be on full alert! After 12.30am 1-1-2555 please sit down and have a well deserved rest! Have a nap if you want to...Happy and safe New Year To you all.

Why am I not convinced that all this 'added security' will do anything, much less prevent any bombs from going off (if there was really the intention)?

Everytime I do venture around Soi Nana and Kao San road area I find myself thinking those 2 areas would be the ideal place for a bombing.

That is if the bombers wanted to make an international statement moreso than a place where 98 percent of the damage would be perpetrated on Thai people more so than any foreigners.

At least the authorities are aware of the potential and they have thwarted the attempts of some sinister persons in the past but how can you expect them to cover all areas of the city and or the country.

I agree complete , this can happen everywhere in the world

big city's all over the world ho are doing good are targets, jealousy had something to do with it ?

I was working in Saudie for 3 years , you are not even allowed there to put a christmas tree in the workshop or they can put you in jail; very serieus

So, go out and enjouy , dont let this crazy people win over the rest of the world,

Merry christmas and a happy New Year

"jealousy"? - sounds like you are American

No I am no American and sorry it was maybe a bad choice of word;

good holidays

peter

Apparently Chalerm is denying this was ever said now - even the 'other paper' seem to be pointing the finger at The Nation on this one for reporting rumour as fact.

Apparently Chalerm is denying this was ever said now - even the 'other paper' seem to be pointing the finger at The Nation on this one for reporting rumour as fact.

I missed the "pointing the finger" in the BP report.

Chalerm denied saying that there "would be bombings" at the 10 locations.

Apparently Chalerm is denying this was ever said now - even the 'other paper' seem to be pointing the finger at The Nation on this one for reporting rumour as fact.

I missed the "pointing the finger" in the BP report.

Chalerm denied saying that there "would be bombings" at the 10 locations.

My apologies - on rechecking it was a Richard Barrow that pointed the finger in his blog and not The Nation:

The Bangkok Post didn’t run the original story but did a follow up today. So far I haven’t seen anything in The Nation to retract their earlier story. We should all be working together to restore tourist confidence after the recent floods. Reporting rumours as facts is not helping anyone in what should be our high season.

http://www.thaitravelblogs.com/2011/12/police-name-10-potential-new-year-bomb-targets-in-bangkok/

Why did they name the areas where they will have road blocks, maybe let the terroists know in advance.