Thai links to IS denied, despite heavy Facebook, online activity

[webfact]

Thai links to IS denied, despite heavy Facebook, online activity
By SURIYA PATATHAYO 
THE NATION

 

Piyapan

 

BANGKOK: -- THERE IS no evidence of any Thais backing the so-called Islamic State (IS), despite reports of multiple visits to the terror group’s Facebook pages by Thai nationals, deputy national police spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang said yesterday.

 

Piyapan said the Thai internet users were simply following the Facebook pages and there was no link to any wrongdoing. He also affirmed that Thailand had measures to prevent terror attacks.

Deputy police chief Pol-General Srivara Ransibrahamakul revealed on Tuesday that the Australian Federal Police’s terrorism assessment unit reported to the Bangkok Regional Cooperation Team’s annual meeting that an unidentified number of Thai nationals had visited IS Facebook pages, using nearly 100,000 usernames, over the past year.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30300704

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-11-24

[kotsak]

[NongKhaiKid]

Intelligence information from an outside source, no way could LoS admit it was accurate and make themselves lose face.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

To admit wrongdoings is against all what Thainess stands for 

[Lingba]

well that was a quick investigation and determination....half a day maybe??...glad to know Thailand is safe and in good hands

[rkidlad]

"Piyapan said the Thai internet users were simply following the Facebook pages and there was no link to any wrongdoing"

 

Eh, what? I thought Thailand had serious laws about cyber crimes. If you click 'like' on something they deem offensive, you can go to prison. Follow a page about a brutal terrorist organisation and that's okay?

 

I'm really confused as to what's illegal and not, and what constitutes threatening national security. Is the law now open to interpretation?

 

Here's an idea, bigwigs: threaten Thais who follow ISIS on Facebook, etc, with harsh punishments. Or don't. Maybe threatening these people will result in more than them following a page or clicking like.

Edited November 23, 2016 by rkidlad

[NongKhaiKid]

3 minutes ago, Lingba said:

well that was a quick investigation and determination....half a day maybe??...glad to know Thailand is safe and in good hands

Seems to be a trait in the govt and reflects the level of competence and professionalism at work.  Another example is the Minister of Tourism who can announce successful travel and expenditure figures before the holiday they refer to has even finished.

[z42]

I wonder what measures Thailand actually has to PREVENT terror attacks exactly. Bombings and shootings in the thousands in the deep south despite martial law and heavy army presence. And attacks in tourist spots and downtown BKK had the rtp scratching their <deleted> about who did it, before obviously solving the course and getting a nice bit of reward money too

Again, completely full of it. Standard, pathetic

[waldroj]

"...Thai links to IS denied..."

 

Unadulterated damage control, after yesterday's deliberately-provocative disclosures by the national deputy police chief (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/955018-pol-gen-srivara-says-thousands-of-thais-are-supportive-of-isis/).

 

These creepy-clowns continue to demonstrate their abject failure to engage brain before putting mouth into gear !!!

 

[daveAustin]

Absolutely no Thais involved with or have any interest in ISIS whatsoever. They would never stoop so low. No terrorism here either, ever. Thai people do not do such things. Absolutely no desire among Thailand's 3 million Muslims (they are also Thai) to have any inkling of aligning themselves with IS, ever... not a one. I know this because I know Thai people, I am not trying to save face for the nation. 

[coma]

“Australia has more modern tools than ours, so when they find something suspicious, they just pass the information on for us to help check and confirm,”

 

The Aussies are wrong mate.

[samsensam]

1 hour ago, rkidlad said:

"Piyapan said the Thai internet users were simply following the Facebook pages and there was no link to any wrongdoing"

 

Eh, what? I thought Thailand had serious laws about cyber crimes. If you click 'like' on something they deem offensive, you can go to prison. Follow a page about a brutal terrorist organisation and that's okay?

 

I'm really confused as to what's illegal and not, and what constitutes threatening national security. Is the law now open to interpretation?

 

Here's an idea, bigwigs: threaten Thais who follow ISIS on Facebook, etc, with harsh punishments. Or don't. Maybe threatening these people will result in more than them following a page or clicking like.

 

when you've been here longer and/or understand more about thai culture you will realise there is nothing unusual about this situation.

 

thais have their own priorities and concerns, they have a very thai-centric view of the world. logic and common sense are rarely relevant.

[dotpoom]

1 hour ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Intelligence information from an outside source, no way could LoS admit it was accurate and make themselves lose face.

 

If they were worried about loosing face, why tell us about the report?                                                                     " Deputy police chief Pol-General Srivara Ransibrahamakul revealed on Tuesday that the Australian Federal Police’s terrorism assessment unit reported to the Bangkok Regional Cooperation Team’s annual meeting that an unidentified number of Thai nationals had visited IS Facebook pages, using nearly 100,000 usernames, over the past year. "

 

[NongKhaiKid]

10 minutes ago, dotpoom said:

 

If they were worried about loosing face, why tell us about the report?                                                                     " Deputy police chief Pol-General Srivara Ransibrahamakul revealed on Tuesday that the Australian Federal Police’s terrorism assessment unit reported to the Bangkok Regional Cooperation Team’s annual meeting that an unidentified number of Thai nationals had visited IS Facebook pages, using nearly 100,000 usernames, over the past year. "

 

If it came up at a regional meeting it could have become public knowledge from several sources so why not admit the report then downplay it ? 

[hdkane]

3 hours ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Intelligence information from an outside source, no way could LoS admit it was accurate and make themselves lose face.

Do you think this attitude will ultimately blow up in their faces?  The Taliban blew up temples and statues in Afghanistan, so no religious icon is safe or honored...so far, IS has shown restraint in SE Asia...perhaps that will change soon...

[hansnl]

If there are muslims, expect extremism.

If there is extremism expect terrorism.

If there is terrorism expect any of the muslim terror fiends lurking around the premises.

Just check on the tourists from Iran wanting to visit the south....

[Mickmouse1]

7 minutes ago, hansnl said:

If there are muslims, expect extremism.

If there is extremism expect terrorism.

If there is terrorism expect any of the muslim terror fiends lurking around the premises.

Just check on the tourists from Iran wanting to visit the south....

You are generalising and I strongly object to your narrow ignorant statement ?

[Sphere]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Piyapan said the Thai internet users were simply following the Facebook pages and there was no link to any wrongdoing.

 

Some ISIS guy must've posted a photo of his lunch....and Thai netizens were drawn to click "like".  

[Mickmouse1]

IS...who is really IS?

Since when...who created them? Why?

AlQada? We know who created them and why...

Ok..ok after IS is gone who will be next and where?  The reason is well known.

The ISS intelligent Secret Services of certain countries helping to create such terrorist organisations that kills mostly Muslims .Recent weapon discovery made in Eastern Europe and the USA used by IS is a concrete prove that the USA is abating and aiding them to cause more chaos  in the region . 

 

[Mickmouse1]

Imagine few guys who are not real combating troops are standing firm in face of all those well equipped US&European troops..I can  not believe they are that strong but believe they are being allowed to thrive to instill fear in the population in Europe , ME and USA for unknown agenda.

These guys can be taken out very fast if the USA want to?

[kmj]

It would be interesting to see what regional data they have on this, I'm guessing lots of access is coming from the southern provinces.

[nausea]

There have been Daesh (ISIS) youtube videos with Thai subtitles, so somebody fluent in Thai was interested. As I understand it the Southern BRN movement doesn't buy in to the Jihadist agenda, having their own competing political objectives, and, ironically, act as a kind of firewall, rather than a recruiting ground. No doubt, there are a lot of Moslem youths looking at this information, and one would be surprised if there weren't given the nature of youth, but I doubt that indicates serious intent, and I doubt whether they could organise anything anyway, in the face of BRN opposition.

[NongKhaiKid]

1 hour ago, hdkane said:

Do you think this attitude will ultimately blow up in their faces?  The Taliban blew up temples and statues in Afghanistan, so no religious icon is safe or honored...so far, IS has shown restraint in SE Asia...perhaps that will change soon...

I'll content myself with assurances there's no terrorism in LoS .    

It's a frightening thought otherwise because all they have is denial.

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Many soft targets around Bkk but my biggest fear id the MRT. I use it as little as possible but had to use it the other day. Security wouldn't even look in to anyone's bags or backpacks, didn't even make eye contact with people. 

 

I hope I am wrong but I think it is only a matter of time until something terrible happens there. Then security will be beefed up for a week or two before it is forgotten again until the net time..

[MeHere]

32 minutes ago, ALLSEEINGEYE said:

Many soft targets around Bkk but my biggest fear id the MRT. I use it as little as possible but had to use it the other day. Security wouldn't even look in to anyone's bags or backpacks, didn't even make eye contact with people. 

 

I hope I am wrong but I think it is only a matter of time until something terrible happens there. Then security will be beefed up for a week or two before it is forgotten again until the net time..

When youre terrified by these animals into changing your life for the worst... they've won

[Redline]

Utterly amazing and pathetic.  Now that they know the government has no clue or tools~game on

[lemonjelly]

I'd agree, the southern muslims have no interest in the caliphate, they're (some, not many) busy with getting the state of Pattani recognised. I don't think they'd want ISIL meddling and they're far too comfortable where they are to go gallavanting around Syria war zones


Sent from my twisted mind using Thaivisa Connect

[JHolmesJr]

since when is visiting someones Facebook page an indication of support for them?

 

thais have morbid tastes….they like seeing blood and gore….maybe they just go there to watch a beheading or two.

 

 

[Mook23]

Look. Eating somdtam is NOT an option at IS hence it's IMPOSSIBLE that thai will bother to go fight in some foreign caliphate. ???

[wow64]

Moments after this speech... whats a facebook?