Security Measures At Airports, Bus Stations Tightened

[george]

Security measures at airports, bus stations tightened

BANGKOK: -- Security measures at airports and inter-provincial bus stations nationwide will be upgraded following bomb attacks here on Sunday, senior officials said on Friday.

Assistant army chief Gen. Saprang Kalayanamitra, in his capacity as board chairman of Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Co., Ltd., said he ordered every airport to boost security measures to the same level of airports in Europe and the United States.

He also ordered Loxley Pcl, provider of security at Suvarnabhumi airport, to improve security systems there or have its concession terminated.

Initially, army and police personnel will be assigned to Suvarnabhumi airport to assist in providing security and if the company fails to upgrade security performance, then the concession would be revoked, Gen. Saprang said.

Meanwhile, Chaisawat Kittipornpaiboon, permanent secretary for Transport, said security systems at every inter-provincial bus station would be upgraded to the maximum following bomb threats at bus stations.

Security at bus stations is now on the same par with national security and passengers may feel inconvenienced because of thorough searches by security personnel there, Mr. Chaisawat said.

--TNA 2007-01-05

[george]

Public health ministry on alert for possible untoward incidents

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has ordered all hospitals and medical staff across the country to be ready around the clock for any possible incidents which might disturb public order following the coordinated Bangkok bombings killing three persons and injuring nearly 40 persons on New Year Eve.

Public Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla met senior officials on Friday to assign officials to be ready to respond to unexpected incidents when the political situation is still not stable.

He said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont had warned all sides to be ready to face any unexpected events.

"The situation has changed rapidly and we need to prepare medical staff and equipment 24 hours in case of emergency from now to the end of this year," the minister said.

According to the Narenthorn Centre, an emergency medical services centre, 16 injured victims of the coordinated bombings on the New Year Eve in Bangkok are still in hospital.

All of the injured -- including two foreigners -- are in stable condition.

--TNA 2006-01-05

[LPCustom69]

Better late than not at all.

Public health ministry on alert for possible untoward incidents

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has ordered all hospitals and medical staff across the country to be ready around the clock for any possible incidents which might disturb public order following the coordinated Bangkok bombings killing three persons and injuring nearly 40 persons on New Year Eve.

Public Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla met senior officials on Friday to assign officials to be ready to respond to unexpected incidents when the political situation is still not stable.

He said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont had warned all sides to be ready to face any unexpected events.

"The situation has changed rapidly and we need to prepare medical staff and equipment 24 hours in case of emergency from now to the end of this year," the minister said.

According to the Narenthorn Centre, an emergency medical services centre, 16 injured victims of the coordinated bombings on the New Year Eve in Bangkok are still in hospital.

All of the injured -- including two foreigners -- are in stable condition.

--TNA 2006-01-05

[Kaojai]

Better late than not at all.

Maybe airport security could be turned over to British Airways and British Airports.

CNN just discovered that two weeks after the luggage belt break-down & weather related slow-down debacles when 8000 and 10,000 pieces of luggage went missing at Heathrow, there were still "only 4,500" (quoting British Airways) pieces not yet reunited with their owners.

British Airways declined to comment on the situation other than to say they were working 24 hours a day to correct the problem and to ask, umm, could CNN tell them exactly where all the luggage might be located.

CNN showed the pile-up of lost luggage with one lone baggage handler sitting nearby staring off into space.

Can't you just imagine how Heathrow would go about tightening airport security.

[astral]

Assistant army chief Gen. Saprang Kalayanamitra, in his capacity as board chairman of Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Co., Ltd., said he ordered every airport to boost security measures to the same level of airports in Europe and the United States.

I have not seen the new airport, but if the old one was anything to go by,

reaching the standards of Europe and the US is tremendous step.

[midas]

Better late than not at all.

Maybe airport security could be turned over to British Airways and British Airports.

CNN just discovered that two weeks after the luggage belt break-down & weather related slow-down debacles when 8000 and 10,000 pieces of luggage went missing at Heathrow, there were still "only 4,500" (quoting British Airways) pieces not yet reunited with their owners.

British Airways declined to comment on the situation other than to say they were working 24 hours a day to correct the problem and to ask, umm, could CNN tell them exactly where all the luggage might be located.

CNN showed the pile-up of lost luggage with one lone baggage handler sitting nearby staring off into space.

Can't you just imagine how Heathrow would go about tightening airport security.

[deminister]

Military Intelligence, a contradiction in terms. They are so incompetent that they ruined the stock exchange and now they scare away tourists and businesses.

[rennie45]

Well it seems they are taking it seriously, just got back from Tesco where I saw armed soldiers walking around the car park.

[astral]

Well it seems they are taking it seriously, just got back from Tesco where I saw armed soldiers walking around the car park.

Did I miss something??

Is there an airport or bus station at Tesco?

[rennie45]

Well it seems they are taking it seriously, just got back from Tesco where I saw armed soldiers walking around the car park.

Did I miss something??

Is there an airport or bus station at Tesco?

Actually I was replying to Security Measures in general...

Edited January 5, 2007 by rennie45

[ding]

There's plenty of space in the new airport for staging security checkpoints. I hope they use plenty of sniffer dogs rather than long ques to walk through a machine. Those million dollar machines are staffed by 200 Baht workers remember.

I like the new airport okay, but I can see the problems. We had no problems at all. I think they'll work it out.

Hualompong should be a tougher challenge but not like the malls.

[bkkandrew]

Well it seems they are taking it seriously, just got back from Tesco where I saw armed soldiers walking around the car park.

Did I miss something??

Is there an airport or bus station at Tesco?

Actually I was replying to Security Measures in general...

Carrefour on Ratchada as well.. About a 8-strong unit.. Perhaps they are expecting Tahksin to go shopping

[laidback]

will be coming back to Thailand soon, I guess I am in for a new experience.

[hatrick]

will be coming back to Thailand soon, I guess I am in for a new experience.

In Chiang Mai we have been told of two bobms - one a grenade thrown into the mosque at the night bazarre and two at the Tesco lotus hang dong - also recently (uncomfirmed) an explosion at Carefour - does anyone have any news on these events as since the Chiang Mai mail has stopped printing we have no english press!!??

[munmick]

Well it seems they are taking it seriously, just got back from Tesco where I saw armed soldiers walking around the car park.

Did I miss something??

Is there an airport or bus station at Tesco?

Actually I was replying to Security Measures in general...

Carrefour on Ratchada as well.. About a 8-strong unit.. Perhaps they are expecting Tahksin to go shopping

No not many will go shoping at Tesco, I heard they had a bomb and 2 killed. Do not know how many injured.

[mayacan]

One would think that since Thailand was taken over by a military coup, and being governed by military top brass, that there would be tighter security and these types of terrorist acts would not happen at all..........

Kind of like the U.S. being governed by the right wing conservative party is suppossed to be tough on terrorists, these trhings should not happen.....

But someone they do, and somebody also prospers by these acts too......

Higher gas prices....$$$$......More terrorist threats......more military hardware....$$$....Less freedom and rights.....

[munmick]

will be coming back to Thailand soon, I guess I am in for a new experience.

In Chiang Mai we have been told of two bobms - one a grenade thrown into the mosque at the night bazarre and two at the Tesco lotus hang dong - also recently (uncomfirmed) an explosion at Carefour - does anyone have any news on these events as since the Chiang Mai mail has stopped printing we have no english press!!??

I was told that Tesco at Hang Dong had a bomb and 2 killed yesterday.Then today someone told me it was 4 killed.I belive it was on Thai televition.

[jellykookabanj]

Better late than not at all.

Maybe airport security could be turned over to British Airways and British Airports.

CNN just discovered that two weeks after the luggage belt break-down & weather related slow-down debacles when 8000 and 10,000 pieces of luggage went missing at Heathrow, there were still "only 4,500" (quoting British Airways) pieces not yet reunited with their owners.

British Airways declined to comment on the situation other than to say they were working 24 hours a day to correct the problem and to ask, umm, could CNN tell them exactly where all the luggage might be located.

CNN showed the pile-up of lost luggage with one lone baggage handler sitting nearby staring off into space.

Can't you just imagine how Heathrow would go about tightening airport security.

Congratulations for jumping to conclusions due to an obvious lack of knowledge about airports and the security surrounding them.

Due to the discovery last year , by the UK government authorities, of a suspected plot to bomb some "American" aeroplanes on routes from Heathrow to USA the Govt decided to upgrade the level of alert for all flights from Heathrow.

The airport is run and managed by BAA ( British Airport Authorities) and all the equipment used for moving and x-raying of checked baggage has been running for many years, quite successfully.

The new requirement was for checked baggage to be x-rayed 4 times (not once as has always been the case) and the baggage has to moved to give 4 different perpectives for the x-ray to be more efficient,

The systems were designed many years ago as a one-way process where the bags go through an x-ray machine and then on to the correct point for loading. Now the new method means that ALL bags must be re-routed 3 extra times to get the required x-ray perspective as required by the authorities.

This caused massive problems to the airport management team (BAA) and the knock-on effect to British Airways, was and still is, massive. They have tried to minimise the problems but if bags do not reach the loading point in time, how can they be held responsible, Do they inconvenience everyone by delaying departures of aircraft or do they fly without some bags which is obviously a massive inconvenience to those people who have not had their bags fly with them.

British Airways cannot comment about legislation causing problems as that would play into the hands of people like Virgin to further criticise them. They try to manage the problem as best they can, but once a bag has missed a flight then it has to be flown as un-accompanied which is governed by further rules and legislation.

About time you thought before jumping in feet first.

[palex]

Better late than not at all.

No, better not at all than ever. Don't you people realize that all nightmare that you experience in US airports due to their new security is not going to stop muslims to blow airlpanes if they want to? All this security does is it makes the flights most unpleasant than ever for us, passengers. In addition, they spend your, taxpayers, money to all these new security games, rise airtickets prices etc. to keep tons of policemen that delay you, make you nervice, and so on and so on.

It is very bad that aiport in Thailand is going to be the same as in US, I relaxed at Don Muang. Western paranoid civilization comes to Thailand...

[Scott]

Oh, I think the security at airports does, in fact, prevent terrorists from blowing up airplanes. Just think for a minute where we would be with no security at airports. I don't know that it prevents terrorists in general, because they change their target. i.e, rail lines, bus stations etc. It's hard for anyone to guess what is next.

The point is, transportation needs to be kept safe because acts of terrorism on them causes such a huge loss of life....not to mention the loss of trust and other psychological damage.

I don't support military regimes in general, but having worked in a number of countries with them, the one thing I do like is the general level of safety. These guys don't usually mess around with civil liberties, they do get the bad guys (and probably quite a few good guys). I expect that in Thailand the minimum we can get is a safe, secure environoment.

This city is starting to feel like Istanbul.

[pap]

Better late than not at all.

Public health ministry on alert for possible untoward incidents

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has ordered all hospitals and medical staff across the country to be ready around the clock for any possible incidents which might disturb public order following the coordinated Bangkok bombings killing three persons and injuring nearly 40 persons on New Year Eve.

Public Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla met senior officials on Friday to assign officials to be ready to respond to unexpected incidents when the political situation is still not stable.

He said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont had warned all sides to be ready to face any unexpected events.

"The situation has changed rapidly and we need to prepare medical staff and equipment 24 hours in case of emergency from now to the end of this year," the minister said.

According to the Narenthorn Centre, an emergency medical services centre, 16 injured victims of the coordinated bombings on the New Year Eve in Bangkok are still in hospital.

All of the injured -- including two foreigners -- are in stable condition.

--TNA 2006-01-05

Not sure what you mean by better late than never. They are hospitals and are dealing with the unexpected on a daily basis. Being able to increase staff quickly is already possible for most of their hospitals since that is part of every "Major" hospitals triage plan. Example " A plane goes down or stadium collapses they have plans in place to account for those events. They rarely have time to practice these emergencies since they are already dealing with real emergencies daily.

If you mean they are finally seeing this as a big issue than I would agree.

[whynot?]

"upgrade security at bus stations"-I can't recall ever seeing a security guard at a bus station-by definition don't you need to have something in order to upgrade it?

[BigSnake]

yes, can be seem all over the Country however we all must remember that the chain is only" as strong as the weakest link" We all Farang and Thais must look out for each other. good luck to all as we go about our day to day routine.

[Briggsy]

"upgrade security at bus stations"-I can't recall ever seeing a security guard at a bus station-by definition don't you need to have something in order to upgrade it?

Haven't you ever noticed all those plain clothes blokes hollering "Where you go?" at you in every bus station in LOS. They are in fact highly trained security specialists.

[Martin]

I feel pretty safe out in the countryside, but quite vulnerable when I go to town. There's more than a hundred chances that I'll be killed by a driver (quite possibly myself) to one that I'll be killed by a bomber (even this week in Bangkok).

Why don't we all start practising having a sense of proportion?---or do we simply like worrying ourselves, or letting others worry us?

[iang]

will be coming back to Thailand soon, I guess I am in for a new experience.

In Chiang Mai we have been told of two bobms - one a grenade thrown into the mosque at the night bazarre and two at the Tesco lotus hang dong - also recently (uncomfirmed) an explosion at Carefour - does anyone have any news on these events as since the Chiang Mai mail has stopped printing we have no english press!!??

I was told that Tesco at Hang Dong had a bomb and 2 killed yesterday.Then today someone told me it was 4 killed.I belive it was on Thai televition.

Am advised that these rumours are just that - malicious rumours & not based on fact. Locals have told me that it really happened but that the Govt was covering it up! In this day & age, that'd be impossible for something of such magnitude. Ever played what we called 'Chinese Whispers' when you were a school kid? Someone says something to the first person & then the message is passed down the line & then you compare what was said by the last person, against the original message! Good fun as a kid, but in this context, it just scares people. The first person says "wouldn't it be terrible if there was a bomb at Tesco Hangdong" and after it's relayed on through 10, 20, 100 people, all of a sudden the place is a giant bomb crater, with mega deaths! We just need to get on with our lives!

[astral]

Someone says something to the first person & then the message is passed down the line & then you compare what was said by the last person, against the original message!

"Send reinforcements, we are going to advance!!"

becomes

"Send 3 (shillings) and fourpence, we are going to a dance......"

[Pakboong]

It is normally the reaction to such acts that determine it's success or failure. Terrorism itself is a funny enemy. In America each year, more people die from peanuts than from terrorism. You would think that America would be the number one terrorist target given it's recent history. With some 10 million Muslims you would think that there would be terrorist acts in the US on a regular basis. It seems stupid to target aircraft when so many much softer targets are readily available.

[pansted00]

The extra safety measures taken at shopping malls are a complete joke.

When you enter the carpark, they check the underside of your car with mirrors , but they don't even ask you to open your trunk...

This was the case today at the Central World parking entrance, right across from where one of the bombs was detonated last week.

[Clipped]

ive had my trunk checked,BUT...if the trunk requires you to use a key to open instead of the autolatch, they just wave you through...

and

ive never had the 'boxes' in my trunk searched, i could have a bomb in my passenger seat and they wouldnt even know, cuz they dont search inside.