[Ride] Songkran Festival "4D/3N" : 10 to 13 Apr 2005

[dalchang]

The Straits Times - April 6, 2005

 

Bangkok alert

 

Thai govt braced for more attacks as many tourists stay away from south

BANGKOK - THAI authorities yesterday urged people in Bangkok to stay vigilant for possible militant attacks as hotels in the south reported a surge in cancellations.

 

'Please help us watch out for any threat because, if it happens, it will hurt every one of us,' said Defence Minister Thammarak Israngura in the first such appeal since separatist violence broke out in the south 15 months ago.

 

'We can't be complacent, we have to take precautions,' he told a Bangkok radio station when asked if he was worried that militants, who have confined their attacks to the three Muslim-majority provinces in the south, would strike in the capital.

 

This fear has been expressed many times since the violence, in which more than 600 people have been killed, erupted in Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani in January last year.

 

So far, there has been not any militant attack in Bangkok and police said they had no indication that the militants planned to strike in the capital.

 

Not taking chances, police said they had boosted security at Western embassies, train terminals and department stores, and also reinforced 256 checkpoints in the city.

 

'Despite no indications or leads that Bangkok is under threat, we have raised our level of security measures to protect these places,' Police Major-General Chatchawal Suksomjit said.

 

More surveillance cameras would be installed and chemicals such as fertiliser and nitrate-mixed substances used by militants to make bombs would be regulated, a gahment spokesman said after a Cabinet meeting yesterday.

 

In the south, fears that militants are expanding their reach were again raised yesterday. Suspected Muslim separatists shot dead a local official in Songkhla province.

 

The province had been spared the violence in the other three provinces until Sunday, when bombs struck an airport and a Carrefour supermarket in Hat Yai city and a hotel in Songkhla city. Two people were killed and more than 70 wounded.

 

The weekend blasts were followed by grenade attacks on a police station and a gahment office in Narathiwat and a bomb blast in Yala.

 

The latest attacks had led many Malaysians and Singaporeans to cancel their holidays to Hat Yai and Songkhla, popular for their bars and brothels, tourism officials said.

 

'About 20 per cent have already cancelled their bookings. They are mostly from Malaysia and Singapore,' Mr Somchart Pimtanapoonporn, chairman of the Hat Yai-Songkhla Hoteliers' Association, told local radio.

 

A meeting by a gahment agency slated for Songkhla province had also been cancelled, he added.

 

The bombings came 10 days before the start of the Buddhist Water Festival, which marks the traditional Thai new year. This is a peak travel period as people take advantage of a five-day weekend starting on April 13.

 

The United States has advised its citizens to defer non-emergency travel to south Thailand, while Britain has warned its people against 'all but essential travel' to the region.

 

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinwatra said yesterday the bombings were likely to have a negative impact on tourism, an important source of revenue for Thailand.

 

'After what happened, it's not possible that there wouldn't be an impact, but we hope that it will just have a short-term impact, and we'll try to rebuild confidence as quickly as possible,' he told reporters.

 

In Yala, where a remote-controlled bomb injured four soldiers on Monday, police are offering rewards of up to 10 million baht (S$425,000) for tip-offs as they have received little cooperation.

 

Flyers were distributed yesterday in the province, which borders Malaysia, urging people to pass on information on militants, drugs and illegal weapons in exchange for rewards of 300 baht to 10 million baht.

 

'If we have to spend 10 million baht to end the problem, we are happy to pay,' Yala police chief Prinya Kwanyuen said.

 

After 15 months of separatist violence, little is known about the Muslim militants. They have yet to issue a manifesto and their leadership remains a mystery.

 

The increasing sophistication and scale of their attacks have led to speculation that they have forged links with international terrorist networks.

 

'In the past, they came out and claimed responsibility, but these days, no one knows who does what for which cause. They're keeping strict secrecy,' said Mr Zahoe Wapa-o, a local leader knowledgeable about the separatist movements.

 

Some officials say the insurgents are getting outside military, ideological and financial support.

 

'Foreign terrorists are definitely involved and playing a major role in attacks like car bombs and bombs detonated by phone signals. Local people don't have knowledge of such things,' said Mr Ware-uma Waredoloh, a Muslim district administrator in Pattani province.

 

Southern Thailand's Muslim minority has long complained of discrimination by the central gahment. -- REUTERS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

 

______________________________________

 

S'POREANS TOLD TO REGISTER CONTACTS

 

A closed-circuit security camera captures the moment the bomb went off at Hat Yai airport. -- BANGKOK POST

 

SINGAPORE'S Foreign Affairs Ministry yesterday said it had not issued a travel advisory, but was closely watching the situation.

 

It urged Singaporeans travelling to Thailand to register their contacts with its Bangkok Embassy at http://www.mfa.gov.sg

 

Travel agents Chan Brothers, SA Tours and CTC Holidays said they had not had any cancellations to Hat Yai or Bangkok.

 

Their promotions to Hat Yai have dropped since Thai Airways pulled out of the destination following the Dec 26 tsunami last year. Bookings now average about 10 a month.

 

Bookings are also few as Songkran, the water festival that will take place from Wednesday to Friday, will not fall on a long weekend for Singaporeans.

 

Tiger Airways, the only carrier to fly there daily, said it had seen 'few changes' in travel plans to Hat Yai in the past two days. It did not give numbers.

 

Bookings to other Thai destinations were also little affected.

 

Regional carrier SilkAir said it had had no cancellations to Chiang Mai and Phuket, its two destinations in Thailand.

 

The National Association of Travel Agents is advising people to get travel insurance.

 

-- KRIST BOO

 

 

 

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Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[Scarab]

We'll be passing by Carrefour on the way to our hotel. Wonder if will kena bomb a second time.

[Mark C.]

Wat is the chances of striking the first price of 4D twice in 1 month? Unless you are that LUCKY.

[Scarab]

Originally posted by Mark C.@Apr 6 2005, 10:16 AM

Wat is the chances of striking the first price of 4D twice in 1 month? Unless you are that LUCKY.

No la. It's just that I haven't seen any fireworks yet this year. Wonder if got chance to see one there or not.

[Elton]

Choy choy... Better buy insurance.

[momo1605198623]

Originally posted by Elton@Apr 6 2005, 03:47 PM

Choy choy... Better buy insurance.

i can intro u one..

[nkan0]

HI guys, i ride an X9 as well, the 250 ones....

 

But i'm thinkin of riding up to Hat Yai on my VFR800 for the Songkran next week.

 

Any views on the recent bombings there?

 

Btw, which hotel are you guys staying at??

 

Any idea where to find this guy called "Botak", that i'd heard that specializes in repairing scooters like the X9? think they say he's workshop is ard Rowell Rd???

 

thankz for the feedbacks

[momo1605198623]

Originally posted by n@kan0@Apr 6 2005, 03:57 PM

HI guys, i ride an X9 as well, the 250 ones....

 

But i'm thinkin of riding up to Hat Yai on my VFR800 for the Songkran next week.

 

Any views on the recent bombings there?

 

Btw, which hotel are you guys staying at??

 

Any idea where to find this guy called "Botak", that i'd heard that specializes in repairing scooters like the X9? think they say he's workshop is ard Rowell Rd???

 

thankz for the feedbacks

91, rowell road... wonderful motor.. look for botak..

anyway here liao..

[Scarab]

Originally posted by momo_x9@Apr 6 2005, 03:55 PM

i can intro u one..

choy = vegetables. You got lobang for that too?

[Elton]

Originally posted by momo_x9@Apr 6 2005, 03:55 PM

i can intro u one..

thanks bro, i already got mine from 2-wheeler.

[momo1605198623]

Originally posted by Scarab@Apr 6 2005, 04:08 PM

choy = vegetables. You got lobang for that too?

gotta call n ask ard..

 

anyway.. guys pls take care during the trip..

[nkan0]

Originally posted by momo_x9@Apr 6 2005, 04:01 PM

91, rowell road... wonderful motor.. look for botak..

anyway here liao..

Ops, not intending to go:offtopic: ,

 

but i was actually asking u guys abt the Hat Yai trip. where will u guys be staying at? any good service apartments lobang? cos i'll most prob be going to stay at hotel, costing at S$45 per day/nite.

[Scarab]

Originally posted by n@kan0@Apr 6 2005, 04:27 PM

Ops, not intending to go:offtopic: ,

 

but i was actually asking u guys abt the Hat Yai trip. where will u guys be staying at? any good service apartments lobang? cos i'll most prob be going to stay at hotel, costing at S$45 per day/nite.

President's Hotel.

[Scarab]

3 days to D-Day H-Hour.

[dalchang]

The Straits Times - April 7, 2005

 

Two Thai policemen hurt in another blast

 

BANGKOK - ANOTHER bomb exploded in southern Thailand yesterday, leaving two police officers with minor injuries, just days after a series of blasts raised worries that the Muslim insurgency is broadening.

 

The 20kg remote-controlled bomb blew up near the Sungai Kolok train station in Narathiwat province as the officers arrived to inspect the device, said police.

 

They also said militants had shot and killed four people in two attacks on Tuesday.

 

The victims included a village headman in Songkhla, and another village chief and two village security guards in Narathiwat.

 

Nearly 800 people have died in attacks blamed on the separatists since last year.

 

In Bangkok, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra urged Thais not to overreact to fears of a new attack by Islamic separatists, even as police began tightening security around the city.

 

'People should not panic over rumours about the next attack,' he told reporters.

 

Bangkok police chief Pansiri Prapawat said surveillance cameras and 437 security checkpoints were being set up around the city, ahead of next week's Songkran water festival, which marks the Thai new year.

 

'We will install as many cameras as we can, mostly in areas that have crowds of people, like the entrances of department stores or bus stations,' he said. -- ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

 

 

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Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

[Scarab]

Closer and closer.

[dalchang]

Originally posted by dalchang@Apr 7 2005, 08:37 AM

The Straits Times - April 7, 2005

 

Two Thai policemen hurt in another blast

 

BANGKOK - ANOTHER bomb exploded in southern Thailand yesterday, leaving two police officers with minor injuries, just days after a series of blasts raised worries that the Muslim insurgency is broadening.

 

The 20kg remote-controlled bomb blew up near the Sungai Kolok train station in Narathiwat province as the officers arrived to inspect the device, said police.

 

They also said militants had shot and killed four people in two attacks on Tuesday.

 

The victims included a village headman in Songkhla, and another village chief and two village security guards in Narathiwat.

 

Nearly 800 people have died in attacks blamed on the separatists since last year.

 

In Bangkok, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra urged Thais not to overreact to fears of a new attack by Islamic separatists, even as police began tightening security around the city.

 

'People should not panic over rumours about the next attack,' he told reporters.

 

Bangkok police chief Pansiri Prapawat said surveillance cameras and 437 security checkpoints were being set up around the city, ahead of next week's Songkran water festival, which marks the Thai new year.

 

'We will install as many cameras as we can, mostly in areas that have crowds of people, like the entrances of department stores or bus stations,' he said. -- ASSOCIATED PRESS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

 

 

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Copyright © 2005 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights reserved.

Updates to the news - pls see below in bold

 

The Nation (Thailand newspaper)

 

Blast injures two policemen

Published on April 07, 2005

 

Two police officers were injured yesterday when a bomb exploded near a food shop behind Sungai Kolok railway station.

 

The explosion occurred as Sergeant Supap Nilwat and Corporal Ma-achi Samingpoyoh arrived to inspect a well-wrapped potted plant that had been abandoned. They both suffered shrapnel wounds and were rushed to a local hospital.

 

Earlier, the food shop owner Preecha Kongsiri alerted police after noticing the plant, which had been left unattended in front of his shop.

 

“The potted plant was tightly sealed and I could not see the soil,” he said.

 

While waiting for police to arrive, Preecha moved the plant 10 metres away from his shop to a vacant lot.

 

In a separate incident, an unidentified gunman fatally shot two village defence volunteers on Tuesday night in Waeng district.

 

The two, Malikri Sama-ae and Ma Sama-ae, died after they were admitted to Waeng Hospital.

 

Witnesses told police that the gunman, who rode pillion on a motorcycle, opened fire with an assault rifle as the two victims were riding their motorcycle in Utae Maje

 

village.

[Scarab]

Now........ where's that kevlar vest that I hadn't used for years........

[sigg4]

whahahahah...bring the bullet proof vest with steel plates.... kekekeke

[dalchang]

For some explosive entertainment in Hatyai:

http://fireworks.south-thai.com/

 

... now you know why huh ha ha ha...

 

Dare to try Snake Soup or Drink Fresh Snake Blood?

http://south-thai.com/snakehouse.html

 

More info, visit http://hatyai.south-thai.com/

[DeepBlue]

Just met 2 wheeler yesterday night to collect the travel insurance.

 

He said most probably he and his group of 8 riders will be cancelling their trip to hatyai. Will stay within malaysia.

 

FYI

[momo1605198623]

Originally posted by Scarab@Apr 7 2005, 09:24 AM

Now........ where's that kevlar vest that I hadn't used for years........

better bring.. if not wait cannot become xi tuo liao..

n still got roti prata waiting for u!!

[Mark C.]

Today's paper advise Singaporean going to Thailand to register your particular with MFA

http://www.mfa.gov.sg/internet/eregister/eregister.html

 

In times of emergency, they would provide you with assistance.

 

You guys might wanna spend a few minute fill-up the form.

This post copy from lEDDYl.

[E.V.ilyn]

Originally posted by dalchang@Apr 7 2005, 09:46 AM

Dare to try Snake Soup or Drink Fresh Snake Blood?

http://south-thai.com/snakehouse.html

:lovestruck: :lovestruck:

 

when and where huh? i want!!!

[Elton]

the trip is still on. see you guys there on sat.