Thailand Declared Safe

Thailand Declared Safe

U.S, Lifts Terror Warning 

On the 13th of January, 2012, The United States issued a terror warning, stating that there was a real possibility of imminent terrorist attacks in busy tourist areas of Bangkok. This came after Thai authorities arrested a Lebanese suspect who is accused of trying to attack spots in Bangkok that are popular with Western tourists. The Thai government said the terror suspect is believed to be a member of Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim group active in Lebanon that the United States and Israel view as a terrorist organization. The suspect (Hussein Atris), had been traveling on a Swedish passport, and had previously lived in Sweden. 

The 47 year old Hussein told the Swedish press ""I am 100 per cent not guilty of the terror crimes I am accused of," said Hussein, who was last week arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport on suspicion of preparing to carry out a terrorist attack in Bangkok. "Much of the materials police found in my storage had been placed there, probably by Israeli secret service Mossad,"

The government of Thailand voiced concerns that the Americans had overreacted, appealing for the Americans to lift the terror warning, as it might have a negative effect on the country's tourism industry. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung was quoted as saying "Nothing to worry about', "I want to assure people that there is nothing to worry about. The police will take care of the situation and everything will be under control."

Since the infamous Bali nightclub bombing in 2002, there have been fears that Muslim extremists might launch a similar attack on tourists in Thailand. The Bali terrorist bombings, which killed some 200 people and injured hundreds more, has been clearly attributed to the al-Qaeda linked terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiya. The attack in Bali's crowded Kuta tourist district was initiated with a possible suicide bombing inside a tourist bar that funneled panicking victims into the street, exposing the crowd to the full blast of a large car bomb parked next to the neighboring Sari club. 

Despite these fears, Thailand has remained relatively safe, with no reported terror attacks against foreign tourists, however bombings have occurred in the troubled Southern provinces. Muslim separatists in the South have been involved in several violent clashes with the government over the years, with several bombings, however these cases are not targeting tourists, and tourism has not been affected. 

This week The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the United States revoked the terrorism alert in Thailand. They have replaced the warning on their website with a more general alert warning for East Asia, not naming any specific countries. The Thai government is assuring citizens that more stringent security measures will be urgently implemented to restore confidence. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Australia is preparing to revoke the alert and several other countries are expected to follow over the next few days. 

Source: The Nation: US lifts terrorism warning, seven other nations retain warning