Earlier today (January 13), the US Embassy in Bangkok disseminated an emergency alert to US citizens in Thailand that foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future. Consequently, US citizens are urged to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok.
See http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/011312emergencymessage
COMMENT: Although it is the policy of the US Department of State to apprise its citizens of security threats as they are received, the warning described above is not particularly helpful, considering that the Embassy does not even state whether the information received is reliable or not or has been corroborated by analysts.
In recent years, the majority of terrorist activity in Thailand has been centered in the three most southern provinces of Pattani, Yala andNarathiwat which have been influenced by Muslim extremists near the Malaysian border.
The best approach when a vague terrorist threat has been received is to not ignore it, but to rely on the same security awareness practices that should always be employed against the criminal threat: (1) Research the security threats in the country before you leave for your destination; (2) Be predictably unpredictable; (3) be observant of people and activity around you; and (4) register your trip with your embassy before initiating your travel. If you live in the country, develop a network of trusted colleagues who can help you in an emergency.
See http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/011312emergencymessage
COMMENT: Although it is the policy of the US Department of State to apprise its citizens of security threats as they are received, the warning described above is not particularly helpful, considering that the Embassy does not even state whether the information received is reliable or not or has been corroborated by analysts.
In recent years, the majority of terrorist activity in Thailand has been centered in the three most southern provinces of Pattani, Yala andNarathiwat which have been influenced by Muslim extremists near the Malaysian border.
The best approach when a vague terrorist threat has been received is to not ignore it, but to rely on the same security awareness practices that should always be employed against the criminal threat: (1) Research the security threats in the country before you leave for your destination; (2) Be predictably unpredictable; (3) be observant of people and activity around you; and (4) register your trip with your embassy before initiating your travel. If you live in the country, develop a network of trusted colleagues who can help you in an emergency.
