Bts Security

[Mai Krap]

Recently I arrived at the SKY TRAIN with full beard,,, "Ive been asked by many Thais if Im Lybian, Palistinian, Saudi, cause of the beard" and a big heavy box... It was very aparrent I was struggling to get the box up the stairs,,, The box was all taped up... No one aproached me to even ask what it was muchless look inside it... At this time there was only a guy standing upstairs with a billy club and he didnt give me a second look either...... It was when I arrived home I thought,,, That box could have been anything and nobody seemed to care what anybody carryed on the train... With trains just being a target of choice in SPAIN I began to feel very uncomfortable... I hope with the new threats on Thailand that security will be hieghtend on the BTS....

[Stocky]

Get a shave, get a grip...........

Maybe get a T-Shirt with "I kant evin spel Al Kee'eda"

[Mai Krap]

I'll pass on the shave,,,Can spell Al Qaeda,,, Dont need grip as I have all my teeth... Thanx for the advice...

The point is not the beard,,, The point is an absence of basic security measures on a known target of choice by terrorist in the face of new threats and an escilation of violance Thailand...

[Boon Mee]

They're going after the main tourist centers like they did in Bali so I'd watch it in Phuket, Samui etc. but BKK? You're more likely to get run down by a tuk tuk driver...

[Mai Krap]

I agree about the dangers of motercycles and tuk-tuks,,, I believe buses are dangerous too,,, The roads here are more likely to take life than any terrorist act,,, I believe there were 40,000 traffic fatalitys in the U.S. alone last year...

I ride motercycles,,, buses,,, and the BTS,,, and I will continue to do so...

With all the increased security at the airport one would expect to see an increase in the security of the BTS... The security in the south was not increased on the trains until the railway workers refused work... In the best intrest of Thai people and tourism we do not need anymore reactionary security measures after another preventable scenario... Anyone who believes there are not radical scentiments in Bangkok need only remember the large amounts of OSAMA t-shirts and stickers after the 911 attack in the U.S. ...

[Georgie-Porgie]

Anyone who believes there are not radical scentiments  in Bangkok need only remember the large amounts of OSAMA t-shirts and stickers after the 911 attack in the U.S. ...

Wrong. I saw the cutest little girl wearing a Waffen SS helmet yesterday.

There wasn't a thought in her head about the Nazis. Thais just find that kind of thing interesting or amusing, and don't even think about what some paranoid Westerner might deduce from their wardrobe.

[meadish_sweetball]

Georgie-Porgie:

CONGRATULATIONS! That was the first intelligent post from you since... well, since I first saw you posting in this forum. :-) Champagne and cigar?

[taxexile]

Wrong. I saw the cutest little girl wearing a Waffen SS helmet yesterday.

There wasn't a thought in her head about the Nazis. Thais just find that kind of thing interesting or amusing, and don't even think about what some paranoid Westerner might deduce from their wardrobe. 

gp.....you are absolutely right !!!

a free foot long subway on me should we ever meet up.

thats a free 'foot long', and not a 'three foot long' by the way.

[Georgie-Porgie]

As I mentioned to one of your buddies the other day, also congratulating me for my "first intelligent post". Look at some of my posts that aren't about politics.

I bet you'll find other "intelligent " ones.

My politics is what you disagree with.

[Mai Krap]

In regaurds to cute little girls wearing NAZI memorabilia... I have never heard of any Thai NAZI,s... Pissed off young radical youths wearing OSAMA t-shirts seem to be the fashion of the week.... There are radical believing Islamist living throughout Issan,,, though in small numbers... The agent Hambali was not captured in the south,,, but in a Buddist community... How many more HAMBALIs are in THAILAND... I only say prevention not reaction... The security level does not coincide with the threat level.

[simon43]

Hambali was captured in Ayuthaya, just north of BKK. Actually I was in a hotel with my GF on that very morning, and the place was swarming with cops..

But my own comments about potential terrorists in BKK or Phuket. Although Phuket would seem to be an obvious choice, the security checks at the single bridge connection onto the island might put a budding terrorist off..

But BKK? I agree with the 1st post. I see plenty of police around but not many with the slightest bit of savvy about potential terrorist situations or suspicious individuals. Thaksin said 'Look for guys with beards'. That's about as witless as saying all the muslims killed last week were drug-addicts.

If there is decent security about, then it's keeping a very low profile. And isn't it about time that the average person in the street was 'educated' to be a little more aware about potential terrorist acts?

[sbk]

Anyone who believes there are not radical scentiments  in Bangkok need only remember the large amounts of OSAMA t-shirts and stickers after the 911 attack in the U.S. ...

Wrong. I saw the cutest little girl wearing a Waffen SS helmet yesterday.

There wasn't a thought in her head about the Nazis. Thais just find that kind of thing interesting or amusing, and don't even think about what some paranoid Westerner might deduce from their wardrobe.

My favorite was the young thai guy (definitely not a Muslim, some rich, young Bangkok student) wearing an Osama Bin Laden t-shirt at the airport. I had to laugh, I wonder if security did anything? As for angry young men in thailand, they aren't wearing osama t-shirts, you can bet on that.

Skytrain security? And here I thought those guys were there to give directions

[Boon Mee]

As I mentioned to one of your buddies the other day, also congratulating me for my "first intelligent post". Look at some of my posts that aren't about politics.

I bet you'll find other "intelligent " ones.

My politics is what you disagree with.

And the ones that disagree with you so vehemently seem to be scared to go on over to the Bear Pit and debate the issues.

Paper tigers...

[taxexile]

If there is decent security about, then it's keeping a very low profile. And isn't it about time that the average person in the street was 'educated' to be a little more aware about potential terrorist acts?

there is no security in bangkok at all, maybe because if security measures were introduced it would be tantamount to the government admitting there was a danger of an incident.

its interesting to see the difference in levels of security between now and during the apec meetings when all politicians were here.

the management of hotels,restaurants,shopping malls,areas like cowboy and nana,skytrain etc. should be putting in place visible security measures and the police should be doing more than checking passports,beards and crash helmets.

sukhumvit road down near soi 3 and 5 is full of "cartoon terrorist" types, swarthy middle eastern and arabs,lush beards and flowing robes, a large proportion of them seem to be carrying oversized suitcases around with them that i hopefully presume they have just bought from those luggage shops down there.

reminds me of the spy vs.spy characters from mad magazine.

never seen one in an osama t-shirt though.

[Mai Krap]

there is no security in bangkok at all, maybe because if security measures were introduced it would be tantamount to the government admitting there was a danger of an incident.

That is my observation too,,, It seems that somthing as simple as checking backpacks,,, briefcases,,, and banning suitcases off the BTS might prevent a moron from making Bangkok the next Madrid....

Many falang + High Profile Target + Lax Security = Potential Disaster

[Boon Mee]

there is no security in bangkok at all, maybe because if security measures were introduced it would be tantamount to the government admitting there was a danger of an incident.

That is my observation too,,, It seems that somthing as simple as checking backpacks,,, briefcases,,, and banning suitcases off the BTS might prevent a moron from making Bangkok the next Madrid....

Many falang + High Profile Target + Lax Security = Potential Disaster

Sorta doubt Bangkok will be the next Madrid as Taksin's pulled the Thai troops out of Iraq.

To make a statement, these Islamofachists will do a another Bali in a heavy tourist area. Hope not, but that's where they'll get the most exposure.

[Mai Krap]

When were Thailands troups removed from Iraq??? Are there any there now???

[simon43]

Well, on the TV yesterday there was a report about the Thai troops in Iraq doing medical work, so methinks they are still there...

Have to say that, based on the minimal BTS security, you won't see me using the new underground system ...

[Mai Krap]

It will be interesting to see if the same security standards will used on the New Subway,,, I understand it is a totaly different management team... Has anyone noticed if the security has been increased anywhere in Bangkok since the "7 day threat",,,???