Public Urged To Watch Out For Suspicious Activities By Foreigners: Thai Army Commander

[webfact]

TERRORISM

Public urged to act as monitors against terrorism

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Army Commander in Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha urged the people to watch out for suspicious activities by foreigners to minimise acts of terrorism.

Prayuth said there are only some 80,000 police officers in Bangkok and that they already have a heavy workload preventing and dealing with normal crime, so it was thus impossible for the public to depend solely on the police to prevent terrorism.

"Bangkok has 10 million people and 10 million pairs of eyes so they need to help monitor the situation and prevent untoward incidents," Prayuth said.

Prayuth said there was greater potential Thailand to be hit by terror attacks as the world is now borderless. The Army chief said when Thailand is fully integrated into the Asean Economic Cooperation, travelling between Asean nations would be easier and the chances of untoward incidents happen would be greater.

Prayuth was commenting on the arrest of two Iranians in Thailand following three explosions in Bangkok last week. The two Iranians along with other suspects, who have fled the country, were reportedly planning to assassinate Israeli embassy officials with DIY bombs.

Prayuth also urged business operators, especially hotels, to keep records of their customers and alert the authorities immediately if they noticed suspicious actions of their foreign customers.

The Army chief said police and military intelligence agencies also needed to cooperate more on intelligence information.

He denied that the Thai authorities had underestimated the situation of international terrorism in the country.

-- The Nation 2012-02-20

[animatic]

Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha urged the people to watch out for suspicious activities by foreigners to minimise acts of terrorism....

..."Bangkok has 10 million people and 10 million pairs of eyes so they need to help monitor the situation and prevent untoward incidents," Prayuth said....

As if 99 44/100th % of foreigners don't want to prevent terrorism also...

[Jingthing]

Hey, it worked for Stalin and the U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy -- there's a communist under your bed!

[sparebox2]

Farangs in Thailand.

Better watch out as you are being watched my the big Army chief.

[DocN]

"Prayuth said there are only some 80,000 police officers in Bangkok and that they already have a heavy workload preventing and dealing with normal crime..."

After I gained my conscience back, which I lost due to none sufficient oxygen supply, since I was laughing too hard, I found that I also wet myself....

[bigbamboo]

Only 80000 police officers in Bangkok? That's more than twice as many as metropolitan London with a similar population.

[dundee48]

If you see any suspicious activity by Thais dont worry,it`s just those pesky foreigners we have to worry about.

[jonclark]

Farangs in Thailand.

Better watch out as you are being watched my the big Army chief.

All farangs are being watched by the Army Chief - that's impressive eyesight.

Seriously, other than the fact that this comment was meant for domestic consumption, it would have been a far more intelligent and constructive comment had he asked all parts of society to help, other than just the Thais. After all farangs have more farang friends than Thai have and are more likely to hear the gossip / bar chatter etc. before the Police catch on to it.

[beano2274]

So be careful if you have a feud with a Thai neighbour as now they can report you to the Police and about 100 officers will come to get you with the big boss, all trying to get away from their heavy wallets,,wooppppss sorry I meant workloads.

[hgma]

the pure simplicity of this article scares me (ad my foreign family)

[Javabear]

I'm just donating as much of my DNA as possible to some lovely young ladies. Nothing suspicious here. Move along, nothing to see.

[Nisa]

Only 80000 police officers in Bangkok? That's more than twice as many as metropolitan London with a similar population.

I though the same thing in terms of New York but then realize that is just the NY Police department and doesn't count State Police /troopers, Port Authority Police (includes airport police), Parking Enforcement, County Sheriff’s Offices ... and many more.

In most (if not all) cases the Royal Thai Police handle all this stuff ... not to mention there are also a number of Federal Agencies that operate in New York including the FBI, DEA, ATF, Immigration and US Marshals.

[Nisa]

Hey, it worked for Stalin and the U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy -- there's a communist under your bed!

Works in the US, Israel and many other places now too. With all the other deterrents and enforcement put in place in the US after 9/11, I would bet this has been one of the most effective tools in preventing terrorism.

[Pib]

Only 80000 police officers in Bangkok? That's more than twice as many as metropolitan London with a similar population.

There are a lot of intersections in Bangkok to lay traffic ticket traps at...takes a lot of BIB to issue traffic tickets...or should I say collect funds for tickets "almost" issued.

[Nisa]

Farangs in Thailand.

Better watch out as you are being watched my the big Army chief.

All farangs are being watched by the Army Chief - that's impressive eyesight.

Seriously, other than the fact that this comment was meant for domestic consumption, it would have been a far more intelligent and constructive comment had he asked all parts of society to help, other than just the Thais. After all farangs have more farang friends than Thai have and are more likely to hear the gossip / bar chatter etc. before the Police catch on to it.

I think you may being a bit hyper sensitive. If our respected embassies want us to watch out for terrorism then they will put out an alert ... as some have already done in terms of being alert. Government officials of every country generally speak to the "public" and back home I cannot remember any alert put out as being "to the public, visiting foreigners and illegals" And if you live in the community then you can probably consider yourself part of the public.

[pimay11]

He denied that the Thai authorities had underestimated the situation of international terrorism in the country.

That's the best one I've heard today. He must be taking lessions from Yingluck. Deny, deny, deny.

[Reasonableman]

Should it have been only "swarthy" foreigners, or are foreigners of all skin hues suspect? Hmmm, how will they distinguish between Thais, Malaysians, Burmese, Cambodians, and Laos, and then there are Karen, and other hilltribes... and... ?

[givenall]

Thai public should call the police whenever a foreigner heals a taxi and the taxi do not stop

But we welcome the tourist

[mca]

Prayuth said there are only some 80,000 police officers in Bangkok and that they already have a heavy workload preventing and dealing with normal crime, so it was thus impossible for the public to depend solely on the police to prevent terrorism.

Shouldn't that read ".........a heavy workload sitting a traffic junctions in those little police boxes reading Thai Rath, snoozing behind mirrored sunglasses, chatting to their teenage mia nois on their cellphones whilst blatantly ignoring the myriad of traffic offenses going on right under their noses before f@cking off home at 6 pm, getting absolutely shitfaced on Black Label and arguing with their wife before staggering out into their soi in their vest and boxer shorts, waving their Glocks in the air and drunkenly threatening to shoot their neighbours"?

[blows]

Does this mean farangs need to stay in an undisclosed location until further notice?

[ScouseTommy]

Funny! Theres a muslim insurgency in southern Thailand, where potential terrorists could easily be recruited but you have to watch out for pesky farang. I can imagine the calls now " sawadee khrap, there is a suspicious farang with a 6 foot tall katoey in soi 4, he is sun burnt and drunk, i think he is a terrorist..."

[Sydebolle]

For once I am quite happy being called an "alien" as the 80'000 strong force is hunting foreigners these days. Watch those beer belly movers with belles one third of the guy's age; that belly could be a hidden "*ç%ç" for what I know.....

[sparebox2]

Does this mean farangs need to stay in an undisclosed location until further notice?

Yes. That mean hang around Kao San Road until further notice.

[Scott]

Most everything I do is viewed suspiciously.

[Jingthing]

Uh oh, I kind of look Iranian ...

[Reasonableman]

Uh oh, I kind of look Iranian ...

You're done, me old mate!

[Reasonableman]

Prayuth said there are only some 80,000 police officers in Bangkok and that they already have a heavy workload preventing and dealing with normal crime, so it was thus impossible for the public to depend solely on the police to prevent terrorism.

Shouldn't that read ".........a heavy workload sitting a traffic junctions in those little police boxes reading Thai Rath, snoozing behind mirrored sunglasses, chatting to their teenage mia nois on their cellphones whilst blatantly ignoring the myriad of traffic offenses going on right under their noses before f@cking off home at 6 pm, getting absolutely shitfaced on Black Label and arguing with their wife before staggering out into their soi in their vest and boxer shorts, waving their Glocks in the air and drunkenly threatening to shoot their neighbours"?

Hmmm, sounds familiar somehow...

[bigbamboo]

For once I am quite happy being called an "alien" as the 80'000 strong force is hunting foreigners these days. Watch those beer belly movers with belles one third of the guy's age; that belly could be a hidden "*ç%ç" for what I know.....

Are you referring to the foreigner or the policeman?

[Lifer]

They might use this as an excuse to change the way visa runners are operating, especially if they monitor the comments about Thailand on TV.

[Jingthing]

Uh oh, I kind of look Iranian ...

You're done, me old mate!

Or you could say, pardon my farsi, that I'm well buggered.