Anything & Everything About Thailand (Part 2)

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 2 January 2007 :-

Bombs fail to scare away Bangkok shoppers

Sunday's bomb attacks across Bangkok did not scare away shoppers and foreign tourists who flocked to well-known shopping malls in the Pathumwan tourist district and enjoyed the New Year's shopping.

Both Thais and foreigners yesterday spent their New Year's holidays at the shopping malls, seemingly unfazed by the spate of bombings that had taken place the night before. Food courts in Siam Paragon shopping centre were crowded with customers.

The Brahma statue, which is situated opposite a bomb site in front of the Gaysorn Plaza shopping mall, was full of visitors who went to pay homage at the shrine as usual.

The nearby Intercontinental Hotel reported no cancellations of room bookings.

However, the operators of well-known shopping malls including Siam Paragon, CentralWorld, Big C department store and the MBK shopping complex have stepped up security measures to prevent any violent incidents.

Security guards were ordered to check customers' bags before entering the compounds and all public bins were removed from streets for fear that the bombers could use them to plant bombs.

All vehicles, especially motorcycles, were closely examined before being allowed to park.

American tourist E. Hezemans, who went shopping with his friends at Siam Discovery Centre, said he was confident that the Thai government had introduced proper measures to prevent future bomb blasts and that the situation was now under control.

"I think the government is doing its best to protect Thai people and foreign tourists from violent attacks. That's why I have no plan to shorten my vacation here," said Mr Hezemans, who planned to stay in Thailand for two weeks.

Lee Yen Soon, from Singapore, said he was not scared by the New Year's Eve bombings as it was "totally different from the violence in Thailand's deep South".

"I will take precautions if the bomb blasts take place in Bangkok every day, like those that happen in the three southern border provinces.

"Moreover, this kind of attack does not happen only in Bangkok, but Indonesia and the Philippines have also experienced similar incidents. So there is no need to panic," he said while shopping at CentralWorld opposite Gaysorn Plaza, where a bomb went off at midnight on Sunday.

The tourist said he felt safe inside the department store due to tight security measures.

Kobchai Chirathivat, president of Central Pattana Plc, the operator of CentralWorld, said fewer Thai shoppers visited his shopping mall yesterday, but the number of foreign tourists was the same.

"[Thai customers] might still be panicking about the situation but foreign visitors are still enjoying shopping here," said Mr Kobchai.

As a precaution, the company intends to employ top security measures for at least one week in all of its 30 branches across the country until the situation becomes more stable, he said.

Sakchai Kengkijkosal, deputy manager of the MBK Shopping Complex, said it had stepped up security measures since November following rumours that had spread in the online community that Bangkok would be attacked during the New Year holidays.

"Over 150 security guards have been instructed to frequently patrol the department store.

"Cleaning staff are told to alert supervisors if they spot suspicious items in the building," Mr Sakchai said.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 2 January 2007 :-

Southern militants not seen as likely culprits

The government and the Council for National Security (CNS) yesterday played down speculation that the bomb attacks in Bangkok on New Year's Eve were planned by Muslim insurgents based in the deep South, despite certain evidence.

A high-ranking CNS source said the initials IRK, which represent a group of Islamic militias who reportedly received training in Afghanistan in guerrilla warfare in urban areas recently, that was left at three of the eight bomb sites seemed too deliberate and obviously intended to make security officials think they were behind the attacks.

Security officials, the government and the CNS yesterday hinted the bomb attacks were carried out by "those who have lost their political interests" while not explicitly saying whether the attacks were carried out by those with connections to the ousted Thaksin government.

The IRK initials were written with markers at four places at three bomb sites - a pillar near a bus stop at Victory Monument, a phone booth near Gaysorn Plaza, a phone booth near Pratunam Pier, and a phone booth near Big C Rajdamri. Police said the initials could have been painted as graffiti and might not have anything to do with the attacks.

Interior Minister Aree Wong-araya also shrugged off speculation involving Muslim militants. He refrained from giving his opinion on who was behind the co-ordinated attacks across the capital, saying military and police intelligence services were investigating.

Citing speculation that pointed to Muslim insurgents, Aree, a Muslim, said care should be taken when linking the bomb attacks with Islam as New Year's Eve was a holy day in Islam. "Those trying to link the attacks with Muslim insurgents need to think hard," he said.

He declined to comment on whether the attacks were ordered by those with ties to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He doubted the attacks had anything to do with a reported failed attempt by pro-Thaksin military officers to carry out a recent counter-coup operation.

A military ordnance source said the type of explosives used at all eight bomb sites was the same - Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) which was classified as M4, an industrial blasting agent of 94 per cent ammonium nitrate and 6 per cent petrol.

Police, however, provided different information on the type of explosive used, saying the bombs were home-made, of a non-violent type and detonated by batteries.

A high-ranking police source said those behind the attacks could have been " in uniform" but declined to be more specific until concrete evidence was made available.

Provincial authorities have been instructed to stay on alert around the clock to brace for more attacks. Bomb threats and alarms can be reported to the hotline number 1567, or 02-223-8851 or 02-622-2441 at the Interior Ministry.

Permanent Secretary Phongphayome Wasaphooti said extra security had been ordered at crowded public areas and government offices while civil defence volunteers and village protection units were ordered on standby.

Rescue units and emergency assistance were also ready and public relations officials are communicating with community leaders to seek co-operation from residents to notify authorities of suspicious incidents or report abandoned objects.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 2 January 2007 :-

Analysis : Who set the bombs? The mystery can only deepen

As residents of the City of Angels pick up the pieces after the string of deadly bombings that killed three and injured nearly 40, casting a grim shadow over New Year festivities, speculation has been rife at to who the perpetrators were.

Whoever was behind it has succeeded in sending a brutal shock wave throughout the country that has been enduring not only the daily insurgent killings in the deep South, but also the post-coup political turbulence, commonly referred to as the "undercurrent".

The first series of six near-simultaneous blasts struck at random locations across Bangkok at around 6pm. The last two came at around midnight. At least nine foreign visitors were injured in the last two explosions. Casualties as of last night were three dead and 43 injured.

While Muslim militants in the predominantly Malay-speaking South were not entirely free from suspicion, most of the fingers pointed to the September 19 coup as the likely catalyst for the deadly bombings.

The same forces have also been suspected of torching some 30 public schools in the North and the Northeast. Authorities believe the arson attacks were part of the "undercurrent".

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said yesterday domestic politics rather than the Muslim insurgency was behind the bombings.

"From the evidence we have gathered, there is only a slim chance it is related to the southern insurgency. It is likely related to people who lost their political benefits," Surayud told a press conference, alluding to the ousted regime of Thaksin Shinawatra.

He described the attackers as "ill-intentioned people" looking to inflict "political damage" on the country.

"The kind of bombs used, the places they picked, and the timing show their intention was to cause panic and fear," Surayud said.

On top of the list of those who lost out from the coup were obviously Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai Party members, including former premier Chavalit Yongchaiyudh.

In keeping with his reputation of jumping ship when things get too hot, Chavalit had first supported the September 19 coup but quickly became a turncoat when none of his associates got any positions in the new government or state enterprises. Most of the portfolios were given to supporters of Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda, and of premier Surayud.

International terrorism is low on the list of suspicions. Global terrorist attacks in recent years have tended to cause great physical damage and the targets are usually high-profile places. The warning by way of the first of the six blasts, not to mention its small size, essentially rule out this possibility.

Separatism and insurgency in the South also did not figure highly in the deliberations of the security community as officials pointed to the nature of the militants' tactics in the restive region. While explosive ingredients for the bombs are more or less the same, as they can be purchased in just about any hardware store, militants in the deep South tend to carry out their bombings on the roadside, followed by a brief gunfight.

Bombs in the South have often been placed in public places, normally targeting restaurants and eateries frequented by security personnel and officials. The attack in downtown Pattani last May that ripped through a teashop frequented by police officers and the Unimog military transport vehicle in front of it was a case in point.

Though the bombs in Bangkok were quite small in size and weight, one cannot deny the symbolism and timing of the acts - the last hours of the last day of the year when tens of thousands of revellers were getting ready to party the night away.

The psychological cost was tremendous and the political cost could be just as brutal. If the police fail to close this case in a timely manner, the Council for National Security (CNS) will undoubtedly bear the brunt of the blame.

It's an open secret that there is some opposition to the plans of the CNS to carry out a structural reform of the police force. Any reform would take away a lot of the powers of the police.

Police General Ajiravid Subarnbhesaj said all eight bombs were placed in 3x5-inch boxes and detonated by digital alarm clock. The most interesting part was that traces of M4 high explosive booster were found in all of the bombs.

The fact that M4, officially a controlled item, was found to have been used lent weight to the theory that the bomb attacks may have been an inside job - either rogue military or a police clique looking to discredit the junta and the current administration.

For the time being, nothing has been totally ruled out. The "undercurrent" theory is quickly gaining momentum. And if this turns out to be the case, Bangkok could become a battle ground for power.

Revellers will have to keep their fingers crossed and hope next New Year's Eve will turn out differently.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 2 January 2007 :-

Thailand : Blue skies ahead for regional, new airlines - Batch of new carriers want licences

Three months after its inauguration, Suvarnabhumi Airport is expected to handle 40 million passengers annually by 2010, as more airlines start using it as their regional hub.

According to the International Air Travel Association, Thailand's aviation industry will grow rapidly in line with the boom in air travel in the Asia Pacific region.

Thailand will gain directly from the new Bangkok airport, which is one of world's most modern, and has the added advantage of a good geographic location.

Chaisak Angkasuwan, director general of Department of Civil Aviation, said eight new airlines were being set up.

Phuket Air, which scrapped an earlier application for landing slots, reapplied under its new company name of Suvarnabhumi Airline.

It plans services from Bangkok to Ranong, Buri Ram, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Its main shareholders are also setting up Holiday Airline to operate routes to Beijing, Seoul and +++yo.

Prathip Boonprasom, the major shareholder of the defunct Air Andaman, which ceased trading two years ago, is planning a comeback with a German national, Hubert Joseph Trunser and Bernan Luthee from Switzerland in a joint venture to be called Asian Aerospace Service.

Sky Star Airway, the fourth applicant to fly routes from Suvarnabhumi, is a joint Thai (51 per cent) and South Korean (49 per cent) venture. It plans flights from Bangkok to Shanghai three times a week, five flights to Beijing, and five to Taipei.

Siam Express Airway plans to fly to Seoul, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City.

The sixth application has come from Thai-owned AS Aviation, which aims to fly air taxis and charter flights for business people, using three small aircraft.

SEE Sky, the seventh applicant, wants to run non-scheduled flights for advertising purposes.

Finally, Air Mark Aviation Thailand, will offer scheduled and non-scheduled flights.

"In 2006, the department approved 33 civil aviation licences but seven of these will be revoked, including those granted to Air Andaman, Thai Pacific, Thai Jet and Thai Air Cargo," Chaisak said.

Also, a group of Chiang Mai politicians and business people are investing Bt200 million to establish Chiang Mai Airways - a new airline to cater for tourists from southern China. The new airline will be positioned somewhere between a general commercial airline and a low-cost carrier.

Meanwhile, regional and local budget airlines, including Singapore's Tiger Air, Jetstar of Australia, Jet Air of India, AirAsia of Malaysia are eyeing Thailand for new opportunities.

And local low-cost operators, One-Two Go and Nok Air are planning to expand their operations, especially into China, Indo-China and India.

The department has urged the Transport Ministry and Airports of Thailand to carry out a feasibility study for building an airport terminal specifically for low-cost operators to tap the market, which is growing 40 per cent per year.

The new terminal should be able to accommodate an additional eight million passengers annually.

However, some budget airlines are calling for a return to Don Muang because operational costs were lower there.

"The airport is designed to eventually serve a maximum of 120 million travellers in the long term, so we will see further expansion as demand increases," Chaisak said.

Apart from the setting up of new airlines and the emergence of low-cost carriers, some major airlines, including national flag carrier Thai Airways International (THAI) are expanding their networks from Suvarnabhumi Airport.

THAI recently added Bangkok to Johannesburg in South Africa and Bangkok to Hyderabad in India, as well as increasing flights to Munich, Sydney, Beijing and Madrid.

The airline has also introduced long-haul direct flights between Bangkok and New York plus Bangkok and Los Angeles.

The new airport has also attracted new players, including Etihad Airways from the UAE. The airline increased its services on the Bangkok-Abu Dhabi route as the airline saw more demand from both leisure and business travellers.

The expansion is part of Etihad's global strategy to link East and West using Abu-Dhabi as the hub.

Bangkok Airways is also planning to increase its seat capacity by 25 per cent and plans to purchase more aircraft.

The airline carries 600,000 passengers between Bangkok and Samui, where it also operates the airport, which generate some 40 per cent of total income. Passenger traffic is forecast to increase by 15 per cent annually.

Bangkok Airways will be the second Thai airline to operate routes to Vietnam this year under a code-share agreement with Ho Chi Minh based Pacific Airlines.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork