We really are in the midst of a strange situation. Thaksin has now officially quit politics, whatever that means, after his diplomatic passport was revoked and the leaders of the military council banned all local media from reporting about his activities. The threat made to the state media poses the biggest question so far with regards to the stability of the current government.

From the Bangkok Post today:

CNS spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the former leader was using the media to stir up confusion and undermine the government and the CNS. Mr Thaksin had issued statements through his lawyer Noppadon Pattama to defend himself. “Some media read out those statements, morning, noon and night. Some also offered an analysis, which the CNS finds inappropriate.”

That’s fantastic. Heaven forbid that the media should offer any “analysis” on the man who was ousted as prime minister in September and who has been pinpointed as the mastermind behind the entire nation’s problems. I haven’t seen an excessive amount of media that has been praising Thaksin recently. Seems the military council are a little paranoid, and no doubt there is a great deal going on beneath the surface that we currently don’t know, such as all the rumours of unexploded bombs that have been circulating recently. Who are we meant to believe?

There was also a story on the Bangkok Post website yesterday reporting that: “Nine bombs, not eight, exploded in Bangkok and Nonthaburi at the New Year, the chief of the Bangkok bombing investigation team.” The ninth bomb was the Major Cineplex bomb in Ratchayothin. This bomb was, allegedly, found in a bag by an employee, taken to a room, and left to explode. What confuses me is that the story about the ninth bomb was removed from the Bangkok Post website. I’m not sure if that means anything or not.

The government seems to be rattled. I’m still not sure what’s going on. The warnings about further bombings have thus far not materialised into any real explosions. There is still military presence, most notably at RCA (a major nightlife district) where clubbers are being both terrified and entertained by a multitude of men with very large guns. There are still a couple of disinterested looking soldiers at Victory Monument, where one of the bombs exploded, and every day I have my bag loosely searched by a clueless security guard at Central World.

People for the most part seem to have forgotten about the bombs for now.

Techno’ tags: Terrorism in Thailand, Bangkok bombings

Though things appear to have returned to normal in Bangkok, they might, in actuality, be only just beginning. Once again, the Thai premier is urging people in the city to be cautious. From The Nation today:

Surayud said Bangkok’s major transport centres would remain under heightened surveillance to prevent further attacks, but warned Thais should brace themselves for new threats. “The public should be prepared to deal with this new kind of threat to our lives in the future,” he said.

I have also received a warning that there will be more bombings in Bangkok this Saturday. I can’t speak for the reliability of the source (though the source itself raises some issues), but I’ve become aware of a number of people who are a little anxious about the coming weekend.

Wherever you go, take care.

Techno’ tags: Terrorism in Thailand, Bangkok bombings

I remember a joke I used to find funny when I was a child:

• Why did the monkey fall out of the tree?
• Because he was shot.
• Why did the ostrich fall out of the tree?
• Because he was stapled to the monkey.
• Why did the elephant fall out of the tree?
• Because he thought it was a game.

I spent considerable time laughing every time that joke was told. Today it doesn’t seem quite so funny. After the bombings on New Year’s Eve, which we are still in the dark about, Bangkok has now descended into chaos, with bombs threats and suspicious packages sending waves of alarm across the public sector.

A soldier has his weapon, a reporter has hers at Victory Monument on New Year’s Eve.
Paranoia is becoming the norm and little has been done to quell people’s fright. What’s most scary is that public uncertainty is being exploited by disgusting, ruthless individuals. Three bomb hoaxes were made against schools in Bangkok today. Children were sent home in flurries of confusion. This is fuelling the situation and making Bangkok feel even more tense than it should, given the circumstances.Bomb-like objects are popping up everywhere. There was one found inside Major Cineplex Rajoyothin. Bomb disposal officers are working around the clock. Central World was another place where there was a false alarm today when a bag was left inside a phone box. A further suspicious package was found near Chinatown and The Nation newspaper became the victim of the afternoon’s most notable hoax. From The Nation website:

“Listen carefully,” said an unknown caller. “I’ve planted three bombs inside buildings of Nation Group. I don’t want to hurt people. I want to only to inflict damages to property. So, evacuate all people now. I did this because I was dissatisfied that Nation Group published reports damaging to Thaksin without verifying information whether Thaksin was behind the bomb attacks. Nation Group presented one-sided reports to frame Thaksin and always publish biased reports. I’ve timed the bomb to explode in three hours. So, evacuate people now.”

I was left shaking my head in disbelief when I read this from the Bangkok Post today:

According to National Police Office, more than 1,000 people have reported that they found suspicious objects that they were afraid could be an explosive on Wednesday alone, but none of them have proved real so far.

1,000 people? If you needed more evidence of the mindset of the general public in Thailand right now, this is it. People are walking around in this mess, unsure if they are about to be blown up or not.

It’s unclear whether or not any of the hoaxes today are related. If they are not then we are in the middle of something that seems to be escalating out of control. Nobody has stepped up to take responsibility for the bombings on Sunday. Surely somebody has to at some point. Something that elaborate has meaning behind it. Sky News reported that one man had been arrested on Sunday, but no further information has been given on this.

Techno’ tags: Terrorism in Thailand, Bangkok bombings

From The Nation today:

Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra insists he had nothing to do with the New Year’s Eve bombs in Bangkok. “I swear that I have never thought of hurting and spoiling the happiness of people, or destroying the country’s credibility for political goals,” he said in a hand-written letter faxed from Beijing. It condemned the deadly attacks on innocent people. Thaksin’s lawyer Noppadon Pattama displayed the three-page document - which he said Thaksin faxed to him from China yesterday morning - at a press conference at the Central Sofitel Hotel in the afternoon.

I’m too tired and it’s too late to write anything substantial now, but what the hell is going on? When are we going to have some light shed on this? There is enough finger pointing and denying to make me think we are in the middle of a children’s television drama series. Will the real culprits please stand up? People are SCARED.

Techno’ tags: Terrorism in Thailand, Bangkok bombings

From The Nation today:

The chairman of the Council for National Security expects more attacks from those behind the bomb attacks in Bangkok on New Year Eve. Speaking to reporters a press conference after a CNS meeting, CNS chairman and Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin said the CNS would hold trainings for the general members of the public so that they could help monitor against possible terror attacks and could inform the authorities in time.

I guess there is no need to reassure the people at this stage; it’s true, things are completely f-cked. The city was deserted today. All the malls had very loose bag searches being “enforced”. Khaosan Road had a similar system in place with a very strong military and police presence. There were still a couple of armed soldiers at Victory Monument.On a slightly stranger note, Chuwit Kamolvisit has put up a million baht for anyone who can provide information that leads to the capture of the perpetrators behind last night’s bombing.

Thailand is reeling. Tourism looks likely to be hit, and with the obvious lack of any real confirmation as to who was responsible (and the announcement that more attacks are likely), the next few weeks will be a bit shaky.

Techno’ tags: Terrorism in Thailand, Bangkok bombings