US Embassy Warns Of Possible Terrorist Attack In Bangkok

[pauljones]

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung said Thai authorities received a tip-off before New Year's of a planned attack, which was said to target Israelis. "At first we were told the Palestinians were behind it but it turned out to be the Hezbollah," he told The Associated Press. In other interviews, he said Israel had provided the warning.

Chalerm said police detained a Lebanese suspect with alleged links to Hezbollah on Thursday. Thai authorities had been "following two Lebanese men and called in one of them ... for questioning," Chalerm said. "Technically the two men have not committed any crimes under the Thai law, so we could only use the immigration law to keep this one suspect in custody," he said.

Continues:

http://www.msnbc.msn...s/#.TxDFblZn6So

Called one in for questioning?

I read they escaped when police raided their apartment and one was caught at the airport trying to depart Thailand.

[cdnski12]

I recall driving up to the fence of a US Air Base with my BKK based bro in 1972. I was shocked, that we could drive to within about 80m of parked B-52 Bombers. The lack of security was bizarre. Perhaps US Govt Security slightly better today. After all, the NSA knew exactly where the 19 X 9/11 bombers were on Sept 11, 2001, from both Cel phone recordings and FBI reports, but did nothing Why does that remind me of Admiral Kimmel at Peral Harbour on Dec 7, 1941? Maybe the Thai Govt should suspend all Iranian tourist visas for the forseeable future.

[softgeorge]

why only American warning , any other embassies sent their warning ? soundds strange !

Well I am a Canadian and just opened my email to find the warning to our citizens and it also says the Australian Embassy has issued the same warnings.

Yes Australia has issued warnings also.

We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Thailand due to the threat of terrorist attack, particularly in the provinces of Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat and Songkhla, where we advise you not to travel.

• Pay close attention to your personal security at all times and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
  

They say to monitor the media but the only thing coming out of the media here is that there is nothing to worry about and all is under control.

Edited January 14, 2012 by softgeorge

[maidu]

In Bangkok...? Holy crap...! Glad I live in Chiang Rai...In a village of 53 people...I was getting worried for a moment...

I'd be cra**ing myself if I were you! In a village of only 53 people, you're probably the only falang. You may as well walk around with a big round target painted on your body!

I also reside in a small village near Chiang Rai, and your comment is silly at best. The folks here precede my first name with 'kun' or 'loong' or 'Mister' and always with a grin - as if we're in on some delicious secret together.

For years, I've half-jokingly mentioned to friends - how low security Thailand is. In some ways, it's good, as it's nice to just travel around in a semi-daze and enjoy things. However, if an open-backed pick-up truck with a giant paper-mache (real-looking) black bomb were to ride down main streets in Phuket, Pattaya, Bangkok or any other city, no Thais would bat an eye. It gives new meaning to the term 'soft target'. Yet who, in their right mind, would want to bomb Bangkok (?), except perhaps Red Shirt hot heads, .....but no one ever accused them of being level headed.

And who in their right mind would want to bomb Bali?

'Right Mind' doesn't really apply here. None of the Muslim extremists are even close to being of 'right mind' or reasonable thinking. Bali was tragic. What's sicker than killing a bunch of young folks having a good time?

[TeddyFlyfisherDavis]

In Bangkok...? Holy crap...! Glad I live in Chiang Rai...In a village of 53 people...I was getting worried for a moment...

I'd be cra**ing myself if I were you! In a village of only 53 people, you're probably the only falang. You may as well walk around with a big round target painted on your body!

No I am not the only "falang" in my village...No I don't walk around "crapping" myself...and I surely don't have a "target"... painted on my body...I have a Thai wife who is a physics professor and I happen to work with the people in our village with planting and harvesting their rice and repairing quite a variety of things...I happen to love these people and they look out for me...and many of them come to our house and have dinners and we all celebrate the holidays. I could go on but I see no advantage explaining myself to an ignorant individual like yourself...You must wake up paranoid every morning...Evidentaly people don't recognize sarcasm when they read it... Edited January 14, 2012 by TeddyFlyfisherDavis

[maidu]

When there's a travel advisory issued by US authorities, it's primarily addressed to fellow Americans. Of course, it can be heeded by anyone. The reason it's addressed to Americans, is (partly) to not to appear haughty - by issuing a blanket advisory to everyone or every foreigner. America already has a reputation for being too bossy worldwide, so issuing blanket advisories for everyone would feed that perception, plus it could be interpreted as interfering with the sovereignty of the country where the advisory is aimed. That's how I see it, anyway.

Personally, I think there should be on-going travel advisories about other things in central and southern Thailand. Namely: the on-going jet ski extortions, the taxi rip-offs (mainly Phuket), and the set-up cigarette butt extortions in Bangkok by fake cops.

[ding]

Folks, it was sent in error. False alarm. Shortly after it was sent, this notice was quickly recalled. A little while later, the recall was then recalled with this message: “Due to a technical error, some recipients received this message – followed by a recall message – a few minutes later. Please disregard the recall message.”

http://www.thaitrave...ack-in-bangkok/

PLEASE READ THIS:

Note: Due to a technical error, some recipients received this message - followed by a recall message - a few minutes later. Please disregard the recall message.

[craigt3365]

One post has been removed. Please keep posts in the realm of reality.

[maidu]

related:

Chalerm denies threat of terror: Thailand

Chalerm has a believability quotient on par with his guru, Thaksin. So if Charlem denies something, you can bet your hand-knitted ball warmer it's real.

Bangkok is not always as safe as it appears on the surface.

The biggest threat to Bangkok are home-grown terrorists. Who lobbed a bomb at a train station platform (killing an innocent woman) 20 months ago ? What group raided a downtown hospital? What was the affiliation of the fellows who torched a shopping mall?

We also encourage you to keep a low profile in public areas, particularly areas frequented by foreign tourists.

And how does the embassy expect us to keep a low profile in tourist areas??? Dye our hair black, drive our motorbikes on the sidewalk and do things like get on the elevator and subway before others have a chance to exit?

[AllanB]

In Bangkok...? Holy crap...! Glad I live in Chiang Rai...In a village of 53 people...I was getting worried for a moment...

I'd be cra**ing myself if I were you! In a village of only 53 people, you're probably the only falang. You may as well walk around with a big round target painted on your body!

No I am not the only "falang" in my village...No I don't walk around "crapping" myself...and I surely don't have a "target"... painted on my body...I have a Thai wife who is a physics professor and I happen to work with the people in our village with planting and harvesting their rice and repairing quite a variety of things...I happen to love these people and they look out for me...and many of them come to our house and have dinners and we all celebrate the holidays. I could go on but I see no advantage explaining myself to an ignorant individual like yourself...You must wake up paranoid every morning...Evidentaly people don't recognize sarcasm when they read it...

Quite right, I feel safer here than I do in the UK and the US has a much higher murder rate than the UK add the accidental gun deaths there and that figure is even higher.

You have to put this into perspective, the risk, even assuming it happens, is lower than a lightening strike, Crossing the roads here, or riding a motorcycle is far more dangerous, so don't get paranoid.

I remember a few years ago that Americans were told to stay away from the UK, because of the fear of Foot and Mouth disease. This is a disease which posses no threat at all to humans and in fact has never even killed an animal either.

So be careful what information you are given and interpret it with an amount of reason. Why would a terrorist go all the way to small village in the middle of nowhere, to bomb one insignificant Farang, who has never done anything to them?

Just be careful when riding you motorcycle instead and enjoy you life here. This is a peace loving country.

[lovetotravel]

I remember a few years ago that Americans were told to stay away from the UK, because of the fear of Foot and Mouth disease. This is a disease which posses no threat at all to humans and in fact has never even killed an animal either.

If you're going to post, please make sure it's reliable. Or do research before posting:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/hand-foot-mouth-disease-has-sickened-110000-in-vietnam-killed-166-over-the-past-year/2011/12/30/gIQA5684PP_story.html

Hand, foot, mouth disease has sickened 110,000 in Vietnam, killed 166 over the past year

[lovetotravel]

related:

Chalerm denies threat of terror: Thailand

Chalerm has a believability quotient on par with his guru, Thaksin. So if Charlem denies something, you can bet your hand-knitted ball warmer it's real.

This is interesting:

Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha seemed to take the threat more seriously. He said security would be increased yesterday evening if no more information emerged on the hideout of other suspects.

According to Yuthasak, quoted by Thai Rath online, Israelis living in Thailand were feared to be targets, a situation that naturally worried the American Embassy. He said the feared period of attack was between January 13-15.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Chalerm-denies-threat-of-terror-30173727.html

[wxyz]

In Bangkok...? Holy crap...! Glad I live in Chiang Rai...In a village of 53 people...I was getting worried for a moment...

I'd be cra**ing myself if I were you! In a village of only 53 people, you're probably the only falang. You may as well walk around with a big round target painted on your body!

No I am not the only "falang" in my village...No I don't walk around "crapping" myself...and I surely don't have a "target"... painted on my body...I have a Thai wife who is a physics professor and I happen to work with the people in our village with planting and harvesting their rice and repairing quite a variety of things...I happen to love these people and they look out for me...and many of them come to our house and have dinners and we all celebrate the holidays. I could go on but I see no advantage explaining myself to an ignorant individual like yourself...You must wake up paranoid every morning...Evidentaly people don't recognize sarcasm when they read it...

Quite right, I feel safer here than I do in the UK and the US has a much higher murder rate than the UK add the accidental gun deaths there and that figure is even higher.

You have to put this into perspective, the risk, even assuming it happens, is lower than a lightening strike, Crossing the roads here, or riding a motorcycle is far more dangerous, so don't get paranoid.

I remember a few years ago that Americans were told to stay away from the UK, because of the fear of Foot and Mouth disease. This is a disease which posses no threat at all to humans and in fact has never even killed an animal either.

So be careful what information you are given and interpret it with an amount of reason. Why would a terrorist go all the way to small village in the middle of nowhere, to bomb one insignificant Farang, who has never done anything to them?

Just be careful when riding you motorcycle instead and enjoy you life here. This is a peace loving country.

and try not to commit suicide, especially unintentional suicide, the leading cause of death among farangs

[lawmakmak]

Who would want to hits us over here in Bangkok? Doesn't add up. I wonder if the threats are indeed foreign or related to some recent foreign involvement/comments in the politics over here...

I believe its more likely to be yet another example "fear terrorism" courtesy of good ol' Uncle sam.

[webfact]

Police reveal sketch of middle eastern man, suspect for possible terrorist attack in Thailand; security stepped up at tourist spots /MCOT

RT @terryfrd: Sketch of the man police want for questioning in relation to alleged terrorist threat via Post Today http://yfrog.com/od5nozvj

Police reveal Lebanese suspect in custody is Atris Hussein, 48; evidence of him involved in terrorist plot /TANN

Police reveal suspect in custody is Lebanese Atris Hussein, 48; evidence supports his involvement in terrorist plot via @js100radio /TANN

Police release sketch of 2nd suspect who's Middle Eastern and over 180cm tall via @js100radio /TANN

Police say security tightened at Khaosan, Rambutri and Sukhumvit Soi 23 via @js100radio /TANN

[lovetotravel]

Who would want to hits us over here in Bangkok? Doesn't add up. I wonder if the threats are indeed foreign or related to some recent foreign involvement/comments in the politics over here...

I believe its more likely to be yet another example "fear terrorism" courtesy of good ol' Uncle sam.

Is that your assumption or do you know this as a fact? Could be the initial info came from Israel, who does follow this stuff closely, and was shared with Thailand and the US?

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=253525

[lovetotravel]

http://www.huffingto..._n_1203831.html

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung said Thai authorities received a tip-off before New Year's of a planned attack, which was said to target Israelis.

"At first we were told the Palestinians were behind it but it turned out to be the Hezbollah," he told The Associated Press. In other interviews, he said Israel had provided the warning.

[Jingthing]

OK, in this case, contrary to my speculation before, it is sounding more like a high likelihood this is directly related to Iranian revenge for the nuclear scientist killing. So more likelihood they were/are targeting Jewish and Israeli targets in Thailand, perhaps Americans secondarily as to Iran Israel equals the USA and vice versa. Of course the Israeli embassy would not be an easy target but there are softer Jewish targets here you don't have to be an Einstein to figure out. Easier here than in Israel or Europe and as another poster said, there are probably sleeper terror cells long in place here. Things are heating up in Tehran. This ain't over by a long shot.

On the ethics of this, I can't personally see rationalizing the murder of nuclear scientists except in the case of an actual war. On the other hand, those are focused on specific strategic targets that are deemed to have military value. This possible revenge, we can assume is intended to be messier. What strategic war value do random travelers eating falafel have? The question I have now is has this war already started?

In any case, I would like to know this: Is the Thai army gathering in force at areas that are OBVIOUS Jewish/Israeli targets in Thailand and if not, why not? Not talking the Israeli and American embassies which we know are well secured but rather completely unprotected soft targets.

Thank You for telling us the trouble in the South is due to Israeli. What are you smoking? I doubt either party even knows that their is country call Israeli.

This same group target people all over the world.

I don't smoke. I don't know what you smoke. Smoking isn't the issue here. Reading comprehension is the issue here. My post had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to with the long history of conflict in the south of Thailand. Much less any relation of same to Israel. Edited January 14, 2012 by Jingthing

[BigC]

I really hope the leave Bangkok airways alone. i love that airline and private airport

[captspectre]

Who would want to hits us over here in Bangkok? Doesn't add up. I wonder if the threats are indeed foreign or related to some recent foreign involvement/comments in the politics over here...

anywhere you are at is a target. easier to get you here then your own country! remember Bali? Africa? do you read and keep up with the world?

[AllanB]

I remember a few years ago that Americans were told to stay away from the UK, because of the fear of Foot and Mouth disease. This is a disease which posses no threat at all to humans and in fact has never even killed an animal either.

If you're going to post, please make sure it's reliable. Or do research before posting:

http://www.washingto...84PP_story.html

Hand, foot, mouth disease has sickened 110,000 in Vietnam, killed 166 over the past year

I must retract my comment regarding foot and mouth and declare that I was misinformed. We were told many different things when this thing was flying about and so called experts were telling us one thing one minute and another the next. What I would say is that (as far as I was informed) no humans were harmed during any of the 3 outbreaks and outside the quarantined farms, there was zero risk.

So I would still say that the risk to US tourist was grossly overstated.

[lovetotravel]

So I would still say that the risk to US tourist was grossly overstated.

Kinda like when Hambali was captured here? Glad Israel and the US were involved. Maybe overstated, but still a threat. And we will never know the entire story here.

http://en.wikipedia....iduan_Isamuddin

Hambali used a series of safe-houses throughout Southeast Asia, especially Thailand and Cambodia, to move around. While he was in Ayutthaya, Thailand, 75 kilometers north of Bangkok, he was planning a terrorist attack against several Thai hotels and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit (APEC) in Bangkok on October 2003. Hambali had used a false Spanish passport to enter Thailand while his wife used her Malaysian passport.

[Buchholz]

Wanted suspect

Khao Sod Article (in Thai)

http://www.khaosod.co.th/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNeU5qUTBORFF6TXc9PQ==&sectionid=

[webfact]

ASTV: Hezbollah says none of its members have been arrested abroad, counter to Thai authorities' claim that arrested Lebanese is Hezbollah /TANN

[Jingthing]

Yeah, and you can trust Hezbollah as far as you can throw them. Directly linked to Iran, which is in war revenge mode now, and categorized a terror organization by many countries.

[biplanebluey]

Yawn-yawn----- Yea ok thanks

[BookMan]

I read on here something about where to watch the superbowl on TV (in Pattaya forum). I presume there will be some superbowl parties in bkk as well. I don't watch it myself, but I'm sure many Americans enjoy it. Might be advisable to avoid these types of gatherings for a while.

[Jingthing]

I read on here something about where to watch the superbowl on TV (in Pattaya forum). I presume there will be some superbowl parties in bkk as well. I don't watch it myself, but I'm sure many Americans enjoy it. Might be advisable to avoid these types of gatherings for a while.

Perhaps one of a plethora of such potential targets. Recalling there was an Al Qaeda bombing of a world cup party in Uganda. Edited January 14, 2012 by Jingthing

[metisdead]

Repeated nonsense posts have removed.

[timewilltell]

I am not particularly a lover of American policies nor the wholesale indoctrination that goes for American history. They have done and are doing plenty that is bad and have singlehandedly caused the financial ruin of millions still going on today.

However they do at least have an Embassy that sees fit to warn it's citizens when a threat is perceived and I am sure they and the Isralies have a far better intelligence system than the Thai's on every conceivable level. The fact that PM Yingluck glibly says no one need worry and Chalerm organizes the arrest of someone who then turns out to have been invited to tell them he is not a terrorist just hours later is laughable. The fact the US says the alert is not yet rescinded is worrying.

The Thai government again proves itself to be just a show, and thus a fair reflection of Thai society generally. I wish the foreign offices of many other governments would stop treating Thailand like a little virgin and start publicizing and warning their citizens of the potential problems here.

As for 'we didn't say anything to the Thais because they don't need to know about it and we wouldn't like to discourage tourists from coming here even if they might get bombed - that sums up the contempt the politicians have for their own people as well as the foreigners who are welcome here for their money and treated with disdain and disinformation. Thai people are entitled to expect better than this from the people they have honored with the responsibility to govern this country and foreigners are entitled to expect an attitude of responsibility from government ministers charged with foreign affairs in a country showing the picture to the world of a hospitable and well developed destination.

The Embassies might continue after this by really exploding the myth about Thai property 'leases' which are not leases as they are known in the West and simply hire contracts that you will have a hard time enforcing should some Thai decide he doesn't like the terms anymore. Likewise they should demand some clarity from the Thai government on the Thai Company law vis a vis the Land Law. The gaping disparity in the information given everywhere to people buying property here in good faith and the systematic theft of those assets by organized mafia groups has destroyed hundreds of lives already. Equally important I would think but I accept and apologies for this para being off topic.