Thai Govt Urged To Allay Terrorism Fears: Tourism

[webfact]

TOURISM

Govt urged to allay terrorism fears

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Concerned tourism businesses yesterday called on the government to make it clear to the international community that the bomb blasts in Bangkok on Tuesday had nothing to do with terrorism.

"Reports from foreign news agencies have linked the bombing with terrorism in India and Georgia … [similar to] the US travel warning issued in January," said Kongkrit Hiranyakit, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand.

The reports said terrorists were targeting tourist spots and travellers. This will result in more countries issuing travel warnings, he said.

Kongkrit said such warnings would have a psychological effect on tourists, who would delay their trips to Thailand, as they did after similar advisories last month. Further violence or discovery of bomb-making ingredients would affect tourists' decision on whether to come to Thailand even more.

He said that when the United States and the United Kingdom issued warnings, other countries would follow. The government should investigate Tuesday's event and clarify the situation as soon as possible to reduce the number of countries issuing such advisories for travellers.

Kongkrit said 60-70 per cent of tourists coming to Thailand decided for themselves the destinations of their trips and might be influenced to avoid Bangkok. Although the government has said the bombings were not the work of terrorists, foreign news agencies were still linking them to terrorism. The government should present evidence to refute this belief, he said.

Sisdivachr Chewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said it had been receiving questions from trading partners and tourists concerned over the bomb blasts. However, they have not cancelled their trips to Thailand yet, but are waiting for the government's investigation.

"We have been informed that Thailand is not placed on the risk country from tourists but Thai travel agents instead," Sisdivachr said.

He said that if the government did not come out with clear information and security protection measures, it would affect Thailand's tourism industry in the long run.

The private sector cannot assess the situation but has to monitor the progress closely day by day.

"The government should control the situation as fast as it can and should be careful when releasing details [so as not] to create panic that leads embassies here to issue warnings," Sisdivachr said.

He added that in some sensitive countries such as China, such warnings would discourage tourists from travelling here. Sisdivachr pointed that the government should more careful for foreign tourist entering into Thailand.

-- The Nation 2012-02-16

[chooka]

It's all about the tourist dollar and has nothing to do with public safety. Do what ever you can to pull the wool of the international communities eyes. Get the department of lies into action. The only problem is that, I believe that the world has lost confidence in what any Thai official says. They think that the world community are a bunch of uneducated moron rice farmers who will continually suck up every single lie they tell. We have seen the lies and coverups flowing thick and fast since the lebonese guy was arrested.

[toenail]

World travelers are use to "terrorist warnings" from their embassies. The fear factor with Thailand is not the embassy warnings or the "terrorists" events themselves in BKK that have occured. It is the government's denial and handling of such serious events. When the Thai government officials try to act like these events are not connected to terrorism but just "normal disputes" then this cluelessness from the government officials is what will scare foreigners from visiting Thailand. -Not being concerned

Edited February 16, 2012 by toenail

[Siripon]

I don't expect anything but nonsense from the lips of politicians Surapong, Chalerm and Suchart but to hear Wichian yesterday denying this latest bombing was an act of terrorism was disappointing. Pressure from above probably.

[alstaxi]

No doubt these bombing were not terrorist activities, they were just "normal crimes", please come to Thailand, everything is normal here.

p.s. bring a large pair of hip waders, the BS level is very high.

[Curt1591]

Concerned tourism businesses yesterday called on the government to make it clear to the international community that the bomb blasts in Bangkok on Tuesday had nothing to do with terrorism.

Says it all! Guess they were just rambunctious tourists!

[aussiejosh]

The investigation is not over yet, but it clearly is not terrorism.... Shouldn't they finish before declaring that its not related...

[Moruya]

Everything's all right. Chalerm said so.

I doubt if 1% of westerners believed that comment and now its 0%

[patekatek]

Unfortunally, this current Thai generation of govenrment, police and military officials is like a family of inbred yahoos from Tennessee. Until a younger and, hopefully, more educated class of people get elected, this current corrupt government will continue its' practice of imitating an ostrich when faced with danger. However, aside from the terrorism threat imposed by the brain-dead Islam extreemists, living in cities like Detroit, Philidelphia, Chicago, L.A., would be far more threatning than living over here. I would be hard pressed to move back to the States.

[Colin Yai]

It's all about the tourist dollar and has nothing to do with public safety. Do what ever you can to pull the wool of the international communities eyes. Get the department of lies into action. The only problem is that, I believe that the world has lost confidence in what any Thai official says. They think that the world community are a bunch of uneducated moron rice farmers who will continually suck up every single lie they tell. We have seen the lies and coverups flowing thick and fast since the lebonese guy was arrested.

I think your post Chooka just about says it all ,so I will not add anything other than agreeing with every word in your post.

[Valentine]

The investigation is not over yet, but it clearly is not terrorism.... Shouldn't they finish before declaring that its not related...

I feel it clearly is terrorism related. C-4 explosive, hand grenades as detonators, radio controls, magnets. These are not normal arsenal associated with your average Thai hitman. IMO anyone who has materials that can be made into an explosive device which can kill, injure, maim & cause psycological damage is a terrorist no matter where they are from.

[phupaman]

I presume it is an everyday happening, Jolly Iranian tourists throwing hand grenades at working Taxi's.

Dont worry Though If it is not international terrorists you can all fall back on the home grown variety who wander around Bangkok

at different times of the year preaching their own brand of Democracy with m79 grenades, you can't miss them they go arond in gangs and wear Red T shirts,

phupaman

[slapout]

Thailand has no terroists, a few malcontents, demostrators, and other various rabel rousers, but do not slander by using the "T" word.

[Colin Yai]

Thailand has no terroists, a few malcontents, demostrators, and other various rabel rousers, but do not slander by using the "T" word.

Pray tell me just what is YOUR definition of a terrorist?

[nurofiend]

Thailand has no terroists, a few malcontents, demostrators, and other various rabel rousers, but do not slander by using the "T" word.

Pray tell me just what is YOUR definition of a terrorist?

someone who wears a red shirt?

[Time Traveller]

Don't worry bombings are just part of Thai culture, like protestors shutting down airports or people rioting and burning down the city.

[softgeorge]

Thailand has no terroists, a few malcontents, demostrators, and other various rabel rousers, but do not slander by using the "T" word.

So all the terrorists are farang tourists or expats?????

[Just1Voice]

The one issue that no one seems to be addressing is WHERE did they get the supplies to make these bombs? I seriously doubt they did a "BYOB" (bring your own bomb) coming through Immigration and Customs, although they probably could have knowing the "efficiency" of these two agencies. And I've yet to find these items for sale in 7/11, Tesco, Home Pro, etc. C-4 and hand grenades are, or at least SHOULD be, under control of the military, which means someone there is guilty. Naturally, the source of these items will never be investigated and everyone will assume they just "found them" laying along side the road and decided to use them to make some bombs.

[spidermike007]

Unfortunally, this current Thai generation of govenrment, police and military officials is like a family of inbred yahoos from Tennessee. Until a younger and, hopefully, more educated class of people get elected, this current corrupt government will continue its' practice of imitating an ostrich when faced with danger. However, aside from the terrorism threat imposed by the brain-dead Islam extreemists, living in cities like Detroit, Philidelphia, Chicago, L.A., would be far more threatning than living over here. I would be hard pressed to move back to the States.

You are absolutely correct. Except these morons make the guys in Tennessee look like rocket scientists. The biggest difference is the Tennessee folks do not pretend to be world class diplomats, and politicians. Tiny minded, poorly informed men like Chalerm, and now Wichean, only make Thailand look more backwards, and less educated than people even thought. But, I would rather live here too. The US is a dangerous place these days, and Thailand for the most part is not a violent place. There are exceptions of course, but they are still rare. Most Thais I run into are peaceful, and delightful, on a daily basis. Even my friends from Issan are starting to find the Yingluck administration hapless, laughable, and incompetent. That says a lot! Let us hope and pray it stays that way.

[orosee]

Terrorism and assassination (attempts) are not the same. Israel and its allies for once depend on the careful separation of the two though I believe neither is a legitimate form of conflict resolution as defined by the UN. There is a grey area where an assassination is used to terrorize a successor (e.g. the mafia murder of a state attorney, the killings of Iranian nuclear scientists) up to where many spectacular killings are used to scare a population (e.g. the events called "unrest" in Thauland's South). The IRA and ETA for example did both, yet at least one of them received strong financial and political support from US interest groups.

A car bomb in a crowd is terrorism. An explosive device under a car to kill the occupant(s) is an assassination.

So for the moment and until more is known, I prefer to see this as a botched assassination attempt.

[Curt1591]

So for the moment and until more is known, I prefer to see this as a botched assassination attempt.

And, I want a pony!

[noitom]

This tourism industry council president is claiming and advocating that the government misrepresent the facts to make it clear that this was not terrorism. Shame on him or her. Such a preposterous and frivolous claim damages tourism more than the terrorist act itself. Any potential tourist thinking about a visit to Thailand and reading up on the latest and seeing this article would have grave concerns about its officials and management let alone the distortion of truth. This article points out how foolish and obviously duplicitous the tourism business is in Thailand.

[LPCustom69]

"The government should control the situation as fast as it can and should be careful when releasing details [so as not] to create panic that leads embassies here to issue warnings," Sisdivachr said.

He added that in some sensitive countries such as China, such warnings would discourage tourists from travelling here. Sisdivachr pointed that the government should more careful for foreign tourist entering into Thailand.

It didn't take to long for the tourism over tourist safety campaign to start.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It didn't take to long for the tourism over tourist safety campaign to start.

It didn't just start... It's never stopped.

[Darkman]

Your more likely to be beaten and killed by tuk tuk drivers in Phuket then Iranian Terrorist bombs.

[Ricardo]

Wonder what sort of tourist-visa one might need, to set-up a non-terrorist bomb-making factory, in Bangkok ?

[thailandshasse]

No doubt these bombing were not terrorist activities, they were just "normal crimes", please come to Thailand, everything is normal here.

p.s. bring a large pair of hip waders, the BS level is very high.

.

Let,s wait and se what happens.

Are from Sweden and know the Iranian, as we have" to many " of them, who make the

country (Sweden )unsafe.

The Thai people are mostly peaceful, and not involve in this things.

But don,t let them go away from Thailand, but put them in prison here.

And be avare for more of them who maybe will come !

Or Swedish government will take them " under their wing " and give them Swedish

passport and only 6 months jail.

thailandshasse

[ricardofel]

What a ridiculous article.....hahahaha. Miracle Thailand!!! And the response from the ministers...what a joke!

[DoctorG]

They really do think that all foreigners are stupid. Far better to come clean and say a terrorist attack was thwarted in Bangkok.

This way they might actually look good, even if they didn't actually do any real detecting.

Most travellers do their own research and weigh up the facts about going to different cities. New York and Bali experienced horrendeous attacks, but millions of people still visit every year.

Because we are not stupid, we assess the risks. We just don't like being lied to.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Terrorism and assassination (attempts) are not the same.

Use of the term in government and media is determined by their attitude to the perpetrators. By definition, it is impossible for any agencies of the US or its allies to sponsor or engage in terrorism, no matter what they or their proxies may get up to.

As with pedophile (paedophilia) the stage of physical development of the victim no longer is no longer relevant to the common-usage meaning - i.e. the actual meaning in reality, as opposed to some ivory tower.

Insisting on the "correct" objective definition for such a loaded term is a waste of time, it's been hijacked