Is Thailand A New Terrorism Playground?

[webfact]

REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Is Thailand a new terrorism playground?

Kavi Chongkittavorn

The Nation

Sixteen hours prior to the US government issued a warning of terrorism attack in Bangkok on Friday, the 13th January, at 4.00 pm., Hussein Atris, 47, a Lebanese-Swedish passport holder, was apprehended at Suvarnaphoumi Airport near midnight on Thursday. What came after the following days showed the huge perception gap of Thai policy makers and their counter terrorism measures with the international community. Worsen still was the unpreparedness of Thai security apparatus to face up with the perceived threats of highly mobile and sophisticated terrorism networks. No wonder, they are still in denial.

Atris was under the watch list since Dec 10, 2011 when the Thai intelligence was alerted that a group of Hezbollah operatives, who were in and are coming to Thailand, could plan terrorist attacks in Bangkok, targeting foreigners, in particular Israeli citizens and assets. On the list are places they frequently visit or stay such as Khaosan Road (cheap hotels and a Chabad), Samui and Pangan Islands (for Full-moon parties) and Sukhumvit Soi 22. Although the Special Branch Police have been on the lookout, they did not have any lead as bits and pieces of intelligence were not case specific.

It was a stroke of luck that Atris was not aware that his name was on the wanted list. Had he chose to exit through land check-points, say, at Nongkai on the Thai-Lao border, he could slip out without notice—indeed not all computers at land border check-points are linked to the immigration's headquarters. After hours of intense interrogation, Atris disclosed the location of a three-story building in Mahachai, Samutsakon on the outskirt of Bangkok where he has accumulated explosive materials—urea-based fertilizer and ammonium nitrate. The Thai authorities believed that they were destined for the third countries not for local targets.

Thailand is no stranger to such terrorist plots targeting Israeli assets and citizens. In March 1994, a Hezbollah-linked group planned a car bomb attack at the Israel Embassy, which was situated in Langsuan. Again, by sheer lucks, the mission was aborted as the car-bomb miraculously broke down. The incident, known among the Thai intelligence, as "Lung Chum (Uncle Chum)" affairs--referring to the hijacked Thai driver who was killed and tied up to the bomb hidden inside the car—serves as a fresh reminder that changes have been for too little and slow in the ways and methods the Thai security apparatus and policy makers reacted including the public's benign attitude on the perceived terrorist threats. According to a latest ABAC poll released last weekend, 55.9 per cent of Thais do not believe that terrorist attacks would happen in Bangkok while 58.1 per cent thought it could occur elsewhere.

No wonder, all the top echelons of Yingluck government were furious, if not over reacted, to the US alert on terrorism warning on its website. They complained the short notice given to them by the Bangkok-based US embassy. Foreign Minister Surapong Tohvichakchaikul criticized the US and expressed disappointment for not closely consult with the Thai side before the warning was flagged. Judging from the knee-jerked responses by several government leaders, it showed that the Pheu Thai ruling party was hyper sensitive as the warning came a few days before the Lunar New Year celebration last weekend. They feared that tourists would cancel flights and trips as well as damage the post-flood business environment. They demanded the US to withdraw it as soon as possible but the US refused. Further adding salts to the wounds, additional 17 countries have followed the US terrorist alert. Last week ahead of the Lunar New Year, China withdrew the travel advisory altogether in responding to Yingluck's request. Foreign concerns are for the safety of their citizens but somehow, the Thai government failed to comprehend that any mass-casualty terrorist attack over here would put the Thai lives in jeopardy as well.

The alert, while it was credible, has not impacted very much on foreign visitors which included US lawmakers--crowding the Suvarnaphoumi airport over the past week. In reality, with specific and accurate information on locations of possible terrorist attacks, visitors would choose safer places to visit. As such, it also boosts the country's counter-terrorism creditability. So the Thai authorities have to be open-minded because the arrest of Atris could represent a harbinger of the future on terrorist threats on Thai soils. With his remaining accomplices are still on the run, the foreign embassies chose to adopt the same precaution. In the case of Thailand, for instance, inaccurate information and naïve official comments on floods management and controls caused not only confusions but also economic damages and scared off foreigners.

It is an open secret that Thailand is a haven for terrorists as well as transnational criminal groups. For decades, they have been using the country as a center to procure illegal materials (arms, drugs or banned chemical and explosive substances), laundry money, forging foreign currencies and travelling documents. Given its centrality in the continental Southeast Asia with nearly one-thousand flights daily in operation, Thailand remains "the" ideal logistic hub for terrorist operations elsewhere. Still, the concerned Thai authorities are not up to the task. For instance, the Immigration Bureau and Special Branch Police are still under staff and lack counter-terrorism training. They have not yet tightened immigration regulations, improved surveillance or set up a viable IT system to anti-terrorism global networks.

While terrorists have changed their strategies but the Thais have not changed their mindset. They naively think that Thailand is a friendly country and has no enemy. Their mantra is still the same: we can turn blind eyes on activities if they do not harm the Thai people. Otherwise, there would be better diplomatic cooperation and communication as well as the display of more humility from the Thai side.

The immigration bureau is notorious for being unprofessional and corrupted without thinking of broader security implications. Under the command of the Royal Thai Police Headquarter, the immigration procedure is also subjected to police bureaucracy and culture. To cope with future challenges related to terrorism and massive cross-border movement, the bureau needs to be detached from the police headquarters and has its autonomy and staff. After the car registration department spin off as an independent bureau away from the police orbit, it has been rated as one of the most efficient government agencies and thriving.

During the 1994 car bomb investigation, the Thai police missed all the important clues and many forensic evidences left inside the car including names of culprits in Arabic languages were overlooked. In retrospect, the episode also revealed the benign attitude of society at large that they did not have any idea about the danger of international terrorism. For instance, the Hezbollah group could procure assets and explosive materials without producing any identification and documents. To be fair, today some of these procedures have improved, due to the insurgent activities in southern Thailand, but not the public awareness as a whole.

The warning is a crude wake-up call for the security officials in charge and public in general. Luckily, this time the only casualties were limited to the diplomatic rows between Thailand and key allies. In the future, if the Thai vulnerabilities continue, terrorists will continue to exploit gaps and the casualties might not be just words.

-- The Nation 2012-01-23

[draftvader]

Any criminals out there listening to the correct exit plan for Thailand? WHAT THE!!!!!!!!!!!!! They actually publish their terrorist weaknesses!!!!!!!!

[Soutpeel]

Any criminals out there listening to the correct exit plan for Thailand? WHAT THE!!!!!!!!!!!!! They actually publish their terrorist weaknesses!!!!!!!!

Finally a regional hub they can be proud of...

[noitom]

It is a very thorough article covering the reality of the deplorable security in Thailand and the risk of its citizens and tourists. Thailand is clearly a very dangerous and dark center of illicit activity and crime as well as a haven for potential terrorist cells and activity. Kavi does a fairly thorough job on content, but should have an editor review his writing for numerous errors.

[Pib]

Thailand is clearly a very dangerous and dark center of illicit activity and crime as well as a haven for potential terrorist cells and activity.

Don't be surprised if the Tourism Authority of Thailand contacts you and asks your permission to use above sentence in their tourism advertisements focused toward possible crimmal/terrorist groups as these groups probably spend more than the average tourist.

[Time Traveller]

Thailand is not a new terrorism playground. It's always been a terrorism playground. A few plane hijackings in the 80's and 90's are evidence of that.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The immigration bureau is notorious for being unprofessional and corrupted without thinking of broader security implications. Under the command of the Royal Thai Police Headquarter, the immigration procedure is also subjected to police bureaucracy and culture. To cope with future challenges related to terrorism and massive cross-border movement, the bureau needs to be detached from the police headquarters and has its autonomy and staff.

That's an interesting proposal... Wonder if it would make things better or worse for the average, mostly law abiding farang?

[americaninbangkok]

Any criminals out there listening to the correct exit plan for Thailand? WHAT THE!!!!!!!!!!!!! They actually publish their terrorist weaknesses!!!!!!!!

And they publish all their countermeasures! Ref numerous articles on how BKK airport has responded to the threat (more random screening, more foot patrols, etc).

[z12]

So Thailand is promoting Terrorist Tourism and Terrorists Businesses.

That is good to know. What visa do you need to be able to do Terrorist Business in Thailand?

[jeanelie]

If you check the number of disgusting attacks, it may be considered correct to state that most of terrorism worldwide is offered cordialy by muslims. I think also that the European people are not famous for terrorism acts in the last decades. By this way it should be considered politically correct, the above article is pointing correctly, to note the origins of the responsible for an act of terror and not only his last passport identity. Being European myself I feel ultimately insulted to be considerd equal to intruders in my society who have no intention to bring postive energie and who are a treath to freedom in all it's possible ways. I would like to thank Thai visa for having noted the double nationality and or origin.

Is Thailand a playground for terrorism? I hope not. There is already enough beauty destroyed in our world. May the" land of the free" not be affected more by freedom killing terrorists.

[Soutpeel]

So Thailand is promoting Terrorist Tourism and Terrorists Businesses.

That is good to know. What visa do you need to be able to do Terrorist Business in Thailand?

These are the quality tourist they are always on about...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Nope... you guys have this all wrong...

If you're a would-be terrorist (paid or volunteer), no visa or work permit required in Thailand...

Come on it! The water is just fine...

[KHR1010]

Some interesting insight on the situation from a well recognized intel group.

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/hezbollah-threat-thailand

[Payboy]

Terrorism playground? Thailand? No way! Actually, I feel quite safe that security personnel are always on their toes. Take the metal detectors at the doors of various dept stores for instance. Of course, if I wanted to smuggle an elephant into Siam Paragon or Emporium, I would always use the side entrance or car park.

[z12]

Nope... you guys have this all wrong...

If you're a would-be terrorist (paid or volunteer), no visa or work permit required in Thailand...

Come on it! The water is just fine...

It is illegal for foreigners to work in Thailand without a work permit. This includes unpaid work, volunteer work (even for charitable causes), and work in exchange for room and board. If you work in Thailand without a work permit, you are subject to arrest, fine, and deportation. Before traveling to Thailand for work -- whether or not you will receive compensation -- you should check with a Royal Thai Embassy to ensure that your plans are consistent with Thai law. Several U.S. citizens are arrested each year due to work permit violations.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1040.html

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

z12, do yourself a favor, go get a dictionary and look up the word "sarcasm".

Edited January 23, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I fail to see how this is bad.. He was caught, that's a huge success. Be it luck or something else, Thailand has an excellent track record when it comes to international terrorism. (Less so domestically, of course)

[Soutpeel]

z12, do yourself a favor, go get a dictionary and look up the word "sarcasm".

You had better specify which dictionary and the specific page as well....suspect our friend "z12" is a colonial cousin and sarcasm/irony is not most developed literary skill there..

[sirchai]

I remember the good old times, when they had signs at all bars in South Pattaya saying: No <deleted>-i-' ---a-bs allowed. A true story indeed.

Now there could be 10,000 Osamas, some Bin in the Ladens and loads of Obahamas hiding and smoking their huge bowls...

Edited January 23, 2012 by sirchai

[maxme]

It's certainly terrifying that terrorists are working out a hub such as Thailand but not really surprising. WinneTheKwai, this is only one major bust, how many do you think the military and the police has passed by without noticing or noticed but not really done anything about it? If they don't care about the foreigners that live and work in Thailand that's fine because that's the way it works over here but what about their own people who certainly would be involved when a bomb goes off? I wouldn't go far as saying that the Thai military track record is impressing, it´s quite the opposite and because of this lack of national security in this country, the terrorists get more and more time to plan and execute their missions and more innocent people get killed as a result.

It's not a success , it's called a showcase...

[Buchholz]

Two suspected Lebanese terrorists arrested: Chalerm

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Friday that two suspected Lebanese men were arrested for planning terrorist attack in Bangkok.

Chalerm said intelligence agencies and police have been in control of the situation.

He said the two are suspected members of the Hezbollah terrorist group.

-- The Nation 2012-01-26

[Siripon]

Two suspected Lebanese terrorists arrested: Chalerm

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said Friday that two suspected Lebanese men were arrested for planning terrorist attack in Bangkok.

Chalerm said intelligence agencies and police have been in control of the situation.

He said the two are suspected members of the Hezbollah terrorist group.

-- The Nation 2012-01-26

Chalerm has always been a boastful man but this is really going too far. It's only Thursday and yet he knows exactly what will happen tomorrow, Friday! Truly a visionary.

[folium]

I think also that the European people are not famous for terrorism acts in the last decades.

What BS.

try telling that to the families of people murdered by terrorist organizations such as the IRA and UFF in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK; by ETA in Spain; by the GIA in France (Algerian but with local support); by the mafia in Italy, assorted Caucasus area organizations in Russia; etc etc and that's just in the last 2 decades.

Edited January 26, 2012 by folium

[tallfarang]

[quote Either this guy is not too bright ,or he laughing uncontollably at the irony of you telling him to look up sarcasm :-)

name=TallGuyJohninBKK' timestamp='1327307230' post='4999709]

z12, do yourself a favor, go get a dictionary and look up the word "sarcasm".

[tallfarang]

Either z12 is not too bright or he is laughing uncontollably at the irony of you telling him to look up sarcasm