Thai Police Charge Lebanese In Terror Probe

[gopnarak]

Lebanese-Swedish terror suspect questioned before more detention

Meanwhile, no hidden traces were found after being thoroughly examined at 400 fans, which were among the items seized at the building. Police said there were believed to be more than one suspect involved and who might have planned to ship the fans abroad with the ammonium nitrate solution.

According to Mr Hussein, there was no terror plot planned for Thailand but the country was being used as a transit site to distribute materials for making bombs overseas.

However, the location was not disclosed by the Thai authorities.

Mr Hussein was detained for questioning Friday at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport under Thai immigration law with suspected links to Hezbollah, a militant political party in Lebanon which holds 11 of 30 cabinet seats in the Lebanese government and which is considered as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, Britain, Canada and several other countries.

-- TNA 2012-01-17

no hidden traces .... nothing found.

And see, Hezbollah has 11 of 30 cabinet seat in Lebanese Gov't. Elected by the Lebanese people

The article fails to mention that Thailand unlike other countries doesn't see Hezbollah as terrorists and that its not a crime in Thailand.

Selective reading is nice :-).

Do you recall if said elections where considered legit? Or the fate of a certain Lebabese prime minister who didn't play nice with Hezbolla?

Yes its open to selective reading. If you want to understand the Thai gov't you must understand how they see the things and that is different from the US stance.

Israel or the USA is not in the position to argue what election where not legit in Lebanon.

[gopnarak]

What I find interesting is the attitude of the Thai officials. Since the bomb materials were being shipped to some other country then it isn't really terrorism and they will only charge the guy with a license violation for illegally owning the nitrates. No conern expressed at all that their country is being used to supply bombs, intended no doubt to kill innocent people. Not our country not our problem.

Hezbollah are only called terrorists by USA, Israel and a few other nations. Not by Thailand or in many other parts of the world.

Lebanon -Not our country not our business.

Thailand - Not your country not your business.

[fred110]

Wait, so he had a plan to use chemicals to make some sort of attack, yet the gov says there was no attack threat?

Love this place. Really.

He promised not to attack Thailand, he was mailing the bombs elsewhere.

[gopnarak]

^ no bombs, just fertilizer.

[Morch]

Lebanese-Swedish terror suspect questioned before more detention

Meanwhile, no hidden traces were found after being thoroughly examined at 400 fans, which were among the items seized at the building. Police said there were believed to be more than one suspect involved and who might have planned to ship the fans abroad with the ammonium nitrate solution.

According to Mr Hussein, there was no terror plot planned for Thailand but the country was being used as a transit site to distribute materials for making bombs overseas.

However, the location was not disclosed by the Thai authorities.

Mr Hussein was detained for questioning Friday at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport under Thai immigration law with suspected links to Hezbollah, a militant political party in Lebanon which holds 11 of 30 cabinet seats in the Lebanese government and which is considered as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, Britain, Canada and several other countries.

-- TNA 2012-01-17

no hidden traces .... nothing found.

And see, Hezbollah has 11 of 30 cabinet seat in Lebanese Gov't. Elected by the Lebanese people

The article fails to mention that Thailand unlike other countries doesn't see Hezbollah as terrorists and that its not a crime in Thailand.

Selective reading is nice :-).

Do you recall if said elections where considered legit? Or the fate of a certain Lebabese prime minister who didn't play nice with Hezbolla?

Yes its open to selective reading. If you want to understand the Thai gov't you must understand how they see the things and that is different from the US stance.

Israel or the USA is not in the position to argue what election where not legit in Lebanon.

Hmm....they found the chemiclas, where the suspect led them, and he confessed what they were for....so how did this "nothing was found"? All it says is they didn't find prints...

If you choose to understand that no prints = nothing was found, selective reading is a gentle term here.

There's a difference between claiming to be a legitimate political movement in a democratic system and between actually being one. A hint, blowing up your political rivals isn't playing according to democratic "rules". Anywhere.The charges concerening the murder of the Lebabese prime minister have nothing to do with Israel, btw. Also not just "a few states". Bummer.

And once again: Hezbollah DID carry attacks overseas, not just in Lebanon and Israel. Killing uninvolved civilians of those countries. How is this, then, "not their style"?

[Joeb]

What I find interesting is the attitude of the Thai officials. Since the bomb materials were being shipped to some other country then it isn't really terrorism and they will only charge the guy with a license violation for illegally owning the nitrates. No conern expressed at all that their country is being used to supply bombs, intended no doubt to kill innocent people. Not our country not our problem.

Hezbollah are only called terrorists by USA, Israel and a few other nations. Not by Thailand or in many other parts of the world.

Lebanon -Not our country not our business.

Thailand - Not your country not your business.

So you would find it acceptable for your country to allow people, whether you chose to call them terrorists or not, to use your country as a transit point for bombs that will be used to kill people in other countries. After all, the people getting killed are not your business, right? And besides, you might make a little profit off the sale of the materials, shipping, shop house rental. We have eco tourism, medical tourism being promoted here. Why not terror tourism. I'm sure TAT can find a snappier slogan.

Edited January 17, 2012 by Joeb

[Morch]

What I find interesting is the attitude of the Thai officials. Since the bomb materials were being shipped to some other country then it isn't really terrorism and they will only charge the guy with a license violation for illegally owning the nitrates. No conern expressed at all that their country is being used to supply bombs, intended no doubt to kill innocent people. Not our country not our problem.

Hezbollah are only called terrorists by USA, Israel and a few other nations. Not by Thailand or in many other parts of the world.

Lebanon -Not our country not our business.

Thailand - Not your country not your business.

If a country is used as a base from which attacks are carried out on civilians of other countries - it makes itself their business.

Countries have the right to warn their citizens, everywhere. Or do you suggest that a govrenment responsiblity for it's citizen's safety ends at the border?

[gopnarak]

Hmm....they found the chemiclas, where the suspect led them, and he confessed what they were for....so how did this "nothing was found"? All it says is they didn't find prints...

If you choose to understand that no prints = nothing was found, selective reading is a gentle term here.

There's a difference between claiming to be a legitimate political movement in a democratic system and between actually being one. A hint, blowing up your political rivals isn't playing according to democratic "rules". Anywhere.The charges concerening the murder of the Lebabese prime minister have nothing to do with Israel, btw. Also not just "a few states". Bummer.

And once again: Hezbollah DID carry attacks overseas, not just in Lebanon and Israel. Killing uninvolved civilians of those countries. How is this, then, "not their style"?

He confessed what exactly? that he wants to ship the bombs somewhere else or that he wants to bomb beer bars and bagel bakeries in Bangkok?

Keep in mind that it was a statement released by the police chief whos main interests is to spread the massage that the danger is over.

Separate between allegation, speculation and what kind of evidence we actually have.

Try the following angle:

Swedish man, 400 electric fans stored in a ware house, wife said he traveled to Thailand for business and trade opportunities.

fertilizers can be used as fertilizers.

^^ Is that rue or not? suspicious?

A bomb making lab would be hard evidence.

Just being a Lebanese and to store Urea and a link to what is said in the english wikipedia about Hezbollah is not hard evidence.

[Morch]

Hmm....they found the chemiclas, where the suspect led them, and he confessed what they were for....so how did this "nothing was found"? All it says is they didn't find prints...

If you choose to understand that no prints = nothing was found, selective reading is a gentle term here.

There's a difference between claiming to be a legitimate political movement in a democratic system and between actually being one. A hint, blowing up your political rivals isn't playing according to democratic "rules". Anywhere.The charges concerening the murder of the Lebabese prime minister have nothing to do with Israel, btw. Also not just "a few states". Bummer.

And once again: Hezbollah DID carry attacks overseas, not just in Lebanon and Israel. Killing uninvolved civilians of those countries. How is this, then, "not their style"?

He confessed what exactly? that he wants to ship the bombs somewhere else or that he wants to bomb beer bars and bagel bakeries in Bangkok?

Keep in mind that it was a statement released by the police chief whos main interests is to spread the massage that the danger is over.

Separate between allegation, speculation and what kind of evidence we actually have.

Try the following angle:

Swedish man, 400 electric fans stored in a ware house, wife said he traveled to Thailand for business and trade opportunities.

fertilizers can be used as fertilizers.

^^ Is that rue or not? suspicious?

A bomb making lab would be hard evidence.

Just being a Lebanese and to store Urea and a link to what is said in the english wikipedia about Hezbollah is not hard evidence.

Aren't you the one full of confidence in the capability and integrity of Thai authorities? Because for a minute there it almost seems like you're saying the lied to the public.

It makes little difference if said chemicals were supposed to be used in Thailand or being shipped to be used on some other location. Nasty both ways. Btw, anyone who would store that in Thailand without a permit could face consequences.

Why is it that you do not trust the Thais now that they are saying that he IS involved and that there was a plot?

As for you stance that "english wikipedia" isn't a credible source - just scroll down and reach the list of actual sources article is based on (ot does any media that writes something you don't like out?).

[gopnarak]

I trust the Thai authorities to do the right thing.

And don't give so much about what some journalist posted on twitter or some sound bites in that media reports about who said what about some else confessions.

Edited January 17, 2012 by gopnarak

[Morch]

I trust the Thai authorities to do the right thing.

And don't give so much about what some journalist posted on twitter or some sound bites in that media reports about who said what about some else confessions.

Ah, so you trust only things said by Thai politicians and officials on public? As credible source, I mean.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

GOP, you trust the Thai authorities to do the right thing...

But it's now the Thai authorities who have charged your innocent farmer/fan exporter with illegal possession of bomb making materials... So apparently they no longer think he's so innocent.

And it's the same Thai authorities you trust who've been regularly saying, not just in print but also on TV for everyone to hear their exact words, that their suspect was planning to export the bomb making materials to other countries...

The Thai authorities you trust were NOT saying he's a fertilizer salesman. The Thai authorities you trust are saying the guy's part of a bomb-making plot aimed at other countries...

[blackthorn2005]

"Security has been stepped up around possible targets in Bangkok". So any terrorist with half a brain will know this, they will not try and transport the remaining ordnance across any international border, so how about putting the rest of the main tourist resorts on alert? Stand by Phuket, Chang Mai Pattaya etc.

[Thai at Heart]

Being covered in the "other" paper. In between the government preferring that the embassies had basically done nothing,

http://www.debka.com/article/21654/

The Thai police's capture of a Lebanese-Swedish Hizballah suspect, who was charged Monday, Jan. 16, thwarted a terrorist attack on Bet Habad in Bangkok, involving the taking of hostages and blowing up the building. It was to have followed the same lines as al Qaeda's 2008 assault on the Mumbai Habad center which killed 8 Israelis and Jews - only more ambitious. The Habad Bangkok is much larger: its hostel has rooms for dozens of lodgers. A second team was to have hit the Khao San Road restaurants popular with Israelis and Americans in a coordinated operation.

DEBKAfile's counter-terror sources note that two or possibly three Hizballah cells were to have gone into coordinated action on the same date this month. The only suspect in Thai custody is Atris Hussein, 47, who was arrested as soon as he landed at Bangkok international airport Thursday, Jan. 12.

According to DEBKAfile's intelligence sources, the tip-off originated with Lebanese nationals living in Bangkok who had been approached for assistance. Those informants, who did not trust the local authorities to act, went straight to Western and Israeli contacts, who then published terror alerts to US and Israeli travelers.

[Thai at Heart]

GOP, you trust the Thai authorities to do the right thing...

But it's now the Thai authorities who have charged your innocent farmer/fan exporter with illegal possession of bomb making materials... So apparently they no longer think he's so innocent.

And it's the same Thai authorities you trust who've been regularly saying, not just in print but also on TV for everyone to hear their exact words, that their suspect was planning to export the bomb making materials to other countries...

The Thai authorities you trust were NOT saying he's a fertilizer salesman. The Thai authorities you trust are saying the guy's part of a bomb-making plot aimed at other countries...

Well someone may be telling a little porkie pie then, coz meanwhile in the other paper, they have a slightly more elaborate report from an Israeli website that analyses Israeli security issues. Could be propaganda, but what odds the Israelis are talking complete BS and the Thai security services really have this completely under control????

http://www.debka.com/article/21654/

The Thai police's capture of a Lebanese-Swedish Hizballah suspect, who was charged Monday, Jan. 16, thwarted a terrorist attack on Bet Habad in Bangkok, involving the taking of hostages and blowing up the building. It was to have followed the same lines as al Qaeda's 2008 assault on the Mumbai Habad center which killed 8 Israelis and Jews - only more ambitious. The Habad Bangkok is much larger: its hostel has rooms for dozens of lodgers. A second team was to have hit the Khao San Road restaurants popular with Israelis and Americans in a coordinated operation.

Edited January 17, 2012 by Thai at Heart

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

ThaiAtHeart... I posted the Debka article and link last night in a couple of threads here on the terrorism subject, including this one...

It's a pretty chilling report... But frankly, given what we know or think we know, I'd say the supposed plot they are reporting -- to bomb the Jewish Chabad House in BKK and restaurants on KSR -- is at least as likely, if not more likely, that the Thai officials account that these terrorists were just using Thailand as a waystation.

One of the things that made me thing about that in particular was, in the various reports on the warehouse raid the other day, it seemed like the urea and stuff had been placed there and stayed there for quite some time... months... And they'd rented the place many months back.

If there was any sign that they'd actually been shipping out any of the chemicals already, there was no hint of that given in any of the news reports I saw... Rather, it just seemed that the stockpile of chemicals had been sitting there for many months...

Sitting there and waiting to go where??? Bangkok seems like the more likely scenario.

Edited January 17, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Ahh...I see the BKK Post web site today has a news report basically repeating the news listed on the Debka web site... And right now... it's the lead item on the BKK Post's home web page with a photo...

Ahh... also... the BKK Post also finally has a photo of the suspect guy with his ski mask off...clearly showing his full face... And that face matches the passport photo previously shown in the various Thai news reports as well as in the Debkafile article.

I didn't see the printed paper today... Did the same article appear in the printed paper, and how prominent a display did it get?

Edited January 17, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[animatic]

What I find interesting is the attitude of the Thai officials. Since the bomb materials were being shipped to some other country then it isn't really terrorism and they will only charge the guy with a license violation for illegally owning the nitrates. No conern expressed at all that their country is being used to supply bombs, intended no doubt to kill innocent people. Not our country not our problem.

Hezbollah are only called terrorists by USA, Israel and a few other nations. Not by Thailand or in many other parts of the world.

Lebanon -Not our country not our business.

Thailand - Not your country not your business.

Why do you keep harping on this disinformation?

[Jingthing]

Again, it hardly matters if Hezbollah is labeled a terror organization or not. What we are talking about here Hezbollah terrorists operating in Thailand. That doesn't mean Hezbollah as a whole deserves the label or not. It does mean they've got some terrorists and some of them are here in THAILAND and some of them plan to do major violence in Thailand. Obsession with labels is irrelevant.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Interesting, I did a Google search tonight for news items mentioning Debka and Bangkok, and only found the original report, the BKK Post article, and one other...

The third article appears to be from a Jewish oriented web site that claims the Debka report is wrong...

As follows:

Debka.com reported that Chabad in Bangkok was a target and the article was referenced by other publications, including Israel Insider, but the Algemeiner has confirmed that Chabad was not the target.

“Yes, we’re aware of the report but we got information that says this is not true,” a Chabad Bangkok representative said.

“The authorities we spoke with say, from what they know, the target was not Chabad.”

When asked if authorities have told them about Hussein’s target(s) and whether they were taking any unusual security measures following the arrest, the Chabad spokesman indicated nothing unusual was going on.

“They don’t talk too much but we always have security 24 hours. Israeli guys, other guys, things are normal”.

Of course, it could just be that the person being quoted in the article above is simply relying on the account that's been consistently offered by Thai authorities.... that the explosives were intended for export...

But that's clearly not what Debka's sources are saying... And those sources certainly appear not to be Thai, but instead, either Israeli and/or Western.

http://www.algemeine...ted-in-bangkok/

The report above comes from some newspaper called The Algemeiner based in New York... Name means nothing to me... But they say on their website:

Labeled the fastest growing Jewish newspaper in America, the NEW Algemeiner serves as a valiant media voice addressing the most compelling issues of our time, with vision, integrity and moral clarity, informed by 4000 years of Jewish experience and wisdom.

BTW, I should clarify above... a Google search for NEWS articles re the Debka report, with Google news focusing really on the more major outlets, only picked up the several mentioned above... But when I broadened the search to all content, the Debka report got picked up by a lot of different web sites out there on the Net.

Edited January 17, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[gopnarak]

GOP, you trust the Thai authorities to do the right thing...

But it's now the Thai authorities who have charged your innocent farmer/fan exporter with illegal possession of bomb making materials... So apparently they no longer think he's so innocent.

And it's the same Thai authorities you trust who've been regularly saying, not just in print but also on TV for everyone to hear their exact words, that their suspect was planning to export the bomb making materials to other countries...

The Thai authorities you trust were NOT saying he's a fertilizer salesman. The Thai authorities you trust are saying the guy's part of a bomb-making plot aimed at other countries...

Thats a PR operation to signalize that the danger of whatever terror attack is over. Do you really believe that the dude said, "yes i am a evil terrorists but i wanted never to bomb Bangkok and never will, just an undisclosed oversea destination."?

Just wait what happen to this guy after the terror news is of the front pages. Soon it will be just the dude that matched the allegation but nothing turned out to be true or could be proved. the suspect yes, but not guilty.

could only charged with improper storage of chemicals without a license or counterfeiting cat litter. I don't think thats unlikely to be happen.

I still trust the Thai authorities that they do the right thing. I don't see the reason for calling them stupid and incompetent the deal with it very smart.

[Thai at Heart]

ThaiAtHeart... I posted the Debka article and link last night in a couple of threads here on the terrorism subject, including this one...

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4984195

It's a pretty chilling report... But frankly, given what we know or think we know, I'd say the supposed plot they are reporting -- to bomb the Jewish Chabad House in BKK and restaurants on KSR -- is at least as likely, if not more likely, that the Thai officials account that these terrorists were just using Thailand as a waystation.

One of the things that made me thing about that in particular was, in the various reports on the warehouse raid the other day, it seemed like the urea and stuff had been placed there and stayed there for quite some time... months... And they'd rented the place many months back.

If there was any sign that they'd actually been shipping out any of the chemicals already, there was no hint of that given in any of the news reports I saw... Rather, it just seemed that the stockpile of chemicals had been sitting there for many months...

Sitting there and waiting to go where??? Bangkok seems like the more likely scenario.

Things like this Debka website, have a certain feel to them (a bit like Asiatimes etc). There can be a lot of planted info, but I quoted them because they are front and centre on the other page. As for it being a real story, i really don't see why the Israelis would necessarily go to the effort of planting it about Bangkok aside from any other place. It certainly doesn't seem implausible, but then an attack on Bangkok would have been very simple I think. If there had been no tip off, we could be waking up tomorrow to a horrendous scene in Bangkok for example. If it is a set up, what really has been gained? Virtually nothing.

I agree with you, it simply appears that there was a plan to do something potentially very serious in Bangkok. Thailand is perfect for it, the cops are all bribeable, the security services utterly inept, a city of 15mn people with well established foreign nationalities, borders that leak like sieves, airports that are basically not secure, an active moslem insurgency.

Rather than wondering why the embassies or websites would make up the stories, it seems far more logical to wonder why a terrorist wouldn't attack Bangkok if they had a reason to do it. If the reason is to get Jews and Yanks, well there aren't many Jewish tourist to Malaysia, or Singapore, but then they also have effective security in Singapore for example. The only reason that I can think of why the Southern separatists haven't had a go is that it would give the RTA the right to go beserk down there.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I would imagine, as far as the mentality of these terrorists are concerned, any large Jewish center like the Chabad House in BKK would be a perfectly suitable target...

It doesn't really matter to them, I'd assume, that the location is Bangkok... They presumably don't have any particular gripe with Thailand. But as you pointed out, Thailand does offer a wonderfully weak and suitable location for them to go after their real targets.

[Thai at Heart]

What I find interesting is the attitude of the Thai officials. Since the bomb materials were being shipped to some other country then it isn't really terrorism and they will only charge the guy with a license violation for illegally owning the nitrates. No conern expressed at all that their country is being used to supply bombs, intended no doubt to kill innocent people. Not our country not our problem.

Hezbollah are only called terrorists by USA, Israel and a few other nations. Not by Thailand or in many other parts of the world.

Lebanon -Not our country not our business.

Thailand - Not your country not your business.

Why do you keep harping on this disinformation?

To be perfectly honest I don't care who intends to blow up my local neighbourhood, as long as someone does something to try to stop it.

How this is not Thailand's business if it means a part of Bangkok gets blown up I don't know. As for Hizbollah "not' being terrorists, there has been a myriad of documents given to you to read to challenge that theory. I will go with labelling anyone who wants to blow up my local neighbourhood indiscriminately, as a terrorist. If he happens to have a Save the Whale members card in his wallet, he can become the Save the Whale terrorist group for all I care.

[gopnarak]

If there was any sign that they'd actually been shipping out any of the chemicals already, there was no hint of that given in any of the news reports I saw... Rather, it just seemed that the stockpile of chemicals had been sitting there for many months...

Sitting there and waiting to go where??? Bangkok seems like the more likely scenario.

I think the demands for fertilizer (no matter what you do with it in the end) vary as the seasons come and go. So a "trader" could wait to "sell" it in the right moment.

The debka report also points out that

"There they found a cache of 4,000 kilograms of urea fertilizer and 10 gallons of ammonium nitrate, a chemical compound used in explosives. The materials had not been assembled, indicating the plot was still not quite ready to go."

My words. No bomb yet, just fertilizer. And i would take time and work load to build a bomb, before someone can blow up something.

No reason for an Red Alert.

That are the hard facts. Anything else are wild speculation with the smell of conspiracy theories and without any concrete evidence.

[Thai at Heart]

I would imagine, as far as the mentality of these terrorists are concerned, any large Jewish center like the Chabad House in BKK would be a perfectly suitable target...

It doesn't really matter to them, I'd assume, that the location is Bangkok... They presumably don't have any particular gripe with Thailand. But as you pointed out, Thailand does offer a wonderfully weak and suitable location for them to go after their real targets.

Absolutely correct.

It doesn't fill me with any joy that this may come to Thailand's doorstep, but having had a business colleague staying in the hotel in Mumbai but by the grace of god she was out of the hotel at the time, shit happens all over the world these days and listening to the Thai government carp on about their "reputation" really does confuse me.

[gopnarak]

I trust the Thai authorities to do the right thing.

And don't give so much about what some journalist posted on twitter or some sound bites in that media reports about who said what about some else confessions.

Ah, so you trust only things said by Thai politicians and officials on public? As credible source, I mean.

I think they do the right thing in this situation and that they are not stupid nor incompetent as the general bashing tune here goes.

[Thai at Heart]

If there was any sign that they'd actually been shipping out any of the chemicals already, there was no hint of that given in any of the news reports I saw... Rather, it just seemed that the stockpile of chemicals had been sitting there for many months...

Sitting there and waiting to go where??? Bangkok seems like the more likely scenario.

I think the demands for fertilizer (no matter what you do with it in the end) vary as the seasons come and go. So a "trader" could wait to "sell" it in the right moment.

The debka report also points out that

"There they found a cache of 4,000 kilograms of urea fertilizer and 10 gallons of ammonium nitrate, a chemical compound used in explosives. The materials had not been assembled, indicating the plot was still not quite ready to go."

My words. No bomb yet, just fertilizer. And i would take time and work load to build a bomb, before someone can blow up something.

No reason for an Red Alert.

That are the hard facts. Anything else are wild speculation with the smell of conspiracy theories and without any concrete evidence.

There was a warning and then miraculously someone got arrested and

SOMEONE CONFESSED and GAVE AWAY THE PLAN.

Do you read any of the news reports that are going around about this story? Now they could all be carefully chorerographed on a global scale, but pray tell, what exactly would the people who made the original warning get out of that? They wrongly arrest one guy, but cause all this mess?

[Thai at Heart]

I trust the Thai authorities to do the right thing.

And don't give so much about what some journalist posted on twitter or some sound bites in that media reports about who said what about some else confessions.

Ah, so you trust only things said by Thai politicians and officials on public? As credible source, I mean.

I think they do the right thing in this situation and that they are not stupid nor incompetent as the general bashing tune here goes.

What exactly did they do right?

[gopnarak]

I would imagine, as far as the mentality of these terrorists are concerned, any large Jewish center like the Chabad House in BKK would be a perfectly suitable target...

It doesn't really matter to them, I'd assume, that the location is Bangkok... They presumably don't have any particular gripe with Thailand. But as you pointed out, Thailand does offer a wonderfully weak and suitable location for them to go after their real targets.

Yes, it are just your imaginations and perception what 'terrorists' might mentally up to.