US warns: Terrorist threat to Bangkok

[StrontiumDog]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingn...rrorist-threat

US warns: Terrorist threat to Bangkok

• Published: 13/01/2012 at 03:19 PM
• Online news:

The US embassy in Thailand has alerted its citizens to possible terrorist attacks in Bangkok.


Photo AFP

The embassy said in a messaged posted on its website on Friday that ‘’foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future.’’

‘’US citizens are urged to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok,’’ it added.

The embassy urged its nationals to stay alert when going out and to report any suspicious objects to authorities.

‘’We also encourage you to keep a low profile in public areas, particularly areas frequented by foreign tourists,’’ it said.

[StrontiumDog]

The warning in full from the US Embassy, Bangkok...

Emergency Message to U.S. Citizens | Embassy of the United States Bangkok, Thailand

Emergency Message to U.S. Citizens: Possible Terrorist Threat

January 13, 2012

This message alerts U.S. citizens in Thailand that foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future. U.S. citizens are urged to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok.

U.S. citizens are encouraged to maintain a heightened awareness when out in public; be alert for unattended packages/bags in public/crowded places and report any suspicious behavior to the nearest law enforcement personnel. We also encourage you to keep a low profile in public areas, particularly areas frequented by foreign tourists.

The American Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy is located at 95 Wireless Road in Bangkok, and can be reached by calling 66-2-205-4049, or by e-mailing [email protected]. The Embassy’s after-hours emergency telephone number is 66-2-205-4000. The U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai is located at 387 Wichayanond Road in Chiang Mai. The American Citizen Services Unit of the Consulate General can be reached by calling 66-53-107-777 and by e-mail at [email protected]. The after-hours emergency telephone number is 66-81-881-1878.

For the latest security information, you should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website, where current Worldwide Cautions, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings and health-information resources can be found. You can also obtain up-to-date information on security by calling 1-888-407-4747 (toll free) in the U.S. and Canada or, for callers in other areas, by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

We encourage you notify us of your presence in Thailand by enrolling in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).

Note: Due to a technical error, some recipients received this message - followed by a recall message - a few minutes later. Please disregard the recall message.

[StrontiumDog]

TAN_Network TAN Network

US Emb Spokesman Walter Braunohler reiterates terrorist threat warning during phone-interview,didn't give details on locations and timeframe

[superman]

‘’We also encourage you to keep a low profile in public areas, particularly areas frequented by foreign tourists,’’ it said.

How can you keep a low profile in a high profile area ?

[Butterfly]

Coup ?

[harrybarracuda]

‘’We also encourage you to keep a low profile in public areas, particularly areas frequented by foreign tourists,’’ it said.

How can you keep a low profile in a high profile area ?

I think that means stay in the blow job bar rather than sitting out on the street.

[rawlins]

From the BBC:

BBC News - US warns of foreign Bangkok terror threat

Thai Defence Minister General Yutthasak Sasiprapha said the US had warned Thai authorities that two suspected Muslim "terrorists" had entered the country.


But he told the AFP news agency a general public warning was not needed.
"Our intelligence officials are working closely with the US and following the terrorists' movements closely," he said.


"I believe we will arrest them tonight. For Thai citizens, there is no need to announce any warning because it will cause panic and will affect our tourism."

[StrontiumDog]

U.S. warns of terror threat in Thailand - CBS News

January 13, 2012 4:31 AM

U.S. warns of terror threat in Thailand


Thai office workers wait to buy food at a food stall in Bangkok on January 10, 2012. (Getty)

(AP) BANGKOK - The U.S. Embassy in Thailand has sent an "emergency message" to American citizens warning of a possible terrorist attack in Bangkok.

The message says that "foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future."

It calls on people to exercise caution in public areas where Western tourists gather.

Embassy spokesman Walter Braunohler declined to release more details saying, "At this time we don't have any further information to share."

[nidhogg]

From the BBC:

BBC News - US warns of foreign Bangkok terror threat

Thai Defence Minister General Yutthasak Sasiprapha said the US had warned Thai authorities that two suspected Muslim "terrorists" had entered the country.


But he told the AFP news agency a general public warning was not needed.
"Our intelligence officials are working closely with the US and following the terrorists' movements closely," he said.


"I believe we will arrest them tonight. For Thai citizens, there is no need to announce any warning because it will cause panic and will affect our tourism."

Oh Fuck. If a Thai is saying don't panic, we are sure to get f*cked....

[StrontiumDog]

From the BBC:

BBC News - US warns of foreign Bangkok terror threat

Thai Defence Minister General Yutthasak Sasiprapha said the US had warned Thai authorities that two suspected Muslim "terrorists" had entered the country.


But he told the AFP news agency a general public warning was not needed.
"Our intelligence officials are working closely with the US and following the terrorists' movements closely," he said.


"I believe we will arrest them tonight. For Thai citizens, there is no need to announce any warning because it will cause panic and will affect our tourism."

Worth posting the whole piece...thanks for pointing it out Rawlins

BBC News - US warns of foreign Bangkok terror threat

13 January 2012 Last updated at 09:34 GMT

US warns of foreign Bangkok terror threat


The embassy said US citizens should "keep a low profile" in Bangkok

The US has warned its citizens in the Thai capital, Bangkok, to be on the alert over a possible terrorist threat.

Its embassy in the city said US citizens should "exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather".

Thai Defence Minister General Yutthasak Sasiprapha said the US had warned Thai authorities that two suspected Muslim "terrorists" had entered the country.

But he told the AFP news agency a general public warning was not needed.

"Our intelligence officials are working closely with the US and following the terrorists' movements closely," he said.

"I believe we will arrest them tonight. For Thai citizens, there is no need to announce any warning because it will cause panic and will affect our tourism."

The US embassy said Americans in Bangkok should "keep a low profile in public areas, particularly areas frequented by foreign tourists", without giving further details

Bangkok has been hit by several small scale bombs in recent years in what are thought to have been politically motivated attacks, and Thai Islamist insurgents regularly carry out attacks in the southern provinces.

But attacks on or by foreigners are rare.

[StrontiumDog]

More info in this Bloomberg piece....

Bangkok Warned by U.S. Embassy of Possible Terror Attack on Tourist Areas - Bloomberg

Bangkok Warned by U.S. Embassy of Possible Terror Attack on Tourist Areas

By Daniel Ten Kate - Jan 13, 2012 3:26 PM GMT+0700

The U.S. Embassy warned of a possible terrorist attack in Thailand’s capital and urged citizens to exercise caution in public areas, according to an “emergency message” released today.

“This message alerts U.S. citizens in Thailand that foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future,” the embassy said. U.S. Embassy spokesman Walter Braunohler confirmed the message by phone.

Thai government spokesman Thitima Chaisang had no immediate comment when reached by phone. Police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri and Army spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd didn’t answer calls to their mobile phones.

The threat is “generic” and likely related to U.S. moves to sanction Iran over its nuclear weapons program, according to Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based analyst at IHS Jane’s.

The U.S. is “looking at pro-Iranian groups that might possibly react to what may very well go down in the Straits of Hormuz and possibly beyond,” Davis said. “It seems unlikely that terrorist attacks would be launched before the situation in the Middle East has escalated significantly.”

Tensions over the ratcheting up of sanctions led Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi to threaten on Dec. 27 that Iran may block the Strait of Hormuz, the transit for about a fifth of the world’s oil, if the European Union bans exports from the Islamic Republic.

[Smug Farang Bore]

From the BBC:

BBC News - US warns of foreign Bangkok terror threat

Thai Defence Minister General Yutthasak Sasiprapha said the US had warned Thai authorities that two suspected Muslim "terrorists" had entered the country.


But he told the AFP news agency a general public warning was not needed.
"Our intelligence officials are working closely with the US and following the terrorists' movements closely," he said.


"I believe we will arrest them tonight. For Thai citizens, there is no need to announce any warning because it will cause panic and will affect our tourism."

Oh Fuck. If a Thai is saying don't panic, we are sure to get f*cked....

Agree with you there...

[StrontiumDog]

TAN_Network TAN Network

INN: Deputy PM Chalerm and police chief confirm arrest of 2 Lebanese terrorist suspects
1 minute ago

ASTV: PM acknowledges that terrorist threat has been known for quite sometime already, intelligence agencies and police are pursuing matter
4 minutes ago

[taxexile]

TAN_NetworkTAN Network





INN: Deputy PM Chalerm and police chief confirm arrest of 2 Lebanese terrorist suspects

5 minutes ago

[StrontiumDog]

Ok, this is weird...arrested yesterday Chalerm says (with no fanfare)....

tulsathit tulsathit

TR @jin_nation: Chalerm told TV 3 two Lebanese were arrested yesterday and "situation's now under control"

Chalerm's "situation under control" means eithr he's lying or Thai govt now can sue US Embassy to bankruptcy.

-----
But from TAN it sounds as though the issue isn't "under control".

TAN_Network TAN Network

Foreign Ministry spokesman echoes PM stating Thai govt has received info about terrorist threat and intelligence officers working on issue

[sunsetter]

13 Jan 2012 10:20
Source: reuters // Reuters

BANGKOK, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Thai authorities have arrested a Lebanese suspect after being warned of a possible attack in Bangkok, the deputy prime minister said on Friday, adding that police had stepped up security and he was confident the situation would be contained.
"A Lebanese suspect from the Hizbollah group has been taken into custody by Thai officials and police are investigating further," Chalerm Yumbumrung told Reuters.
"Following concern raised by the Israeli embassy about a possible attack by a group of Lebanese terrorists in Bangkok, Thai police officials had been coordinating with Israeli officials since before the new year."
Earlier, the U.S. embassy had warned of a possible attack by "foreign terrorists" and told its citizens to be careful. (Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat.; Writing by Alan Raybould. Editing by Jason Szep)

i fpound this

[taxexile]

be interesting to see if there is an increased police presence around tourist areas tonight to protect all those tourists that thailand love so much.

[StrontiumDog]

tulsathit tulsathit

RT @Aim_NT: Chalerm: Thai police had been on alert before the US warning. Lebanese Hezballah suspects are in police custody. (NNA)

(as above ^^)

[StrontiumDog]

More on the above....

Thailand says Lebanese arrested in security scare - Israel News, Ynetnews

Thailand says Lebanese arrested in security scare

Shortly after US embassy warns of terror threat in Bangkok, Thai authorities arrest Lebanese suspect allegedly linked to Hezbollah

Published: 01.13.12, 12:47 / Israel

Thai authorities have arrested a Lebanese suspect after being warned of a possible attack in Bangkok, the deputy prime minister said on Friday, adding that police had stepped up security and he was confident the situation would be contained.

"A Lebanese suspect from the Hezbollah group has been taken into custody by Thai officials and police are investigating further," Chalerm Yumbumrung told Reuters.

"Following concern raised by the Israeli embassy about a possible attack by a group of Lebanese terrorists in Bangkok, Thai police officials had been coordinating with Israeli officials since before the new year."

Earlier, the US embassy had warned of a possible attack by "foreign terrorists" and told its citizens to be careful.

The US ambassador to Thailand warned Friday there is a "real and very credible" threat of a terrorist attack against American citizens in Bangkok.


Ambassador Kristie Kenney was elaborating on an "emergency message" sent by the embassy to American citizens earlier Friday warning of a possible terrorist attack.

<snipped, due to repetition>

-----
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/poli...-30173676.html

US advisory is real and Bangkok is specific

January 13, 2012 3:16 pm



US Ambassador to Thailand Kristie Kenney on Friday said the alert to US citizens of foreign terrorist attacks in Bangkok is real.

She said in her twitter;@KristieKenney that "Our advisory to US citizens is real and BKK is specific."

<snipped>

[taxexile]

thanks to israeli security, a terrorist attack here may well have been averted.

[StrontiumDog]

Ok, this goes from weird to weirder....Chalerm says all is ok, The US Ambassador says warning still relevant.....

Aim_NT Aim_The Nation

DPM Chalerm: Don't take US info (warning). No need to worry for situation in Thailand. TR @NationChannel24
3 minutes ago

-----
KristieKenney Kristie Kenney

@terryfrd yes, our advice to US citizens still holds.
15 minutes ago

our advice 2 US in BKK re terrorist threat: caution in areas w large grps of western tourists in BKK; keep low profile in public areas.

[taxexile]

chalerm speaks.

Ambassador Kristie Kenney told the AP the threat was "real and very credible." She didn't give any other information.

It was the first U.S. warning of a foreign terror attack in Bangkok in recent memory.

Chalerm said the danger has passed.

Thai authorities had been "following two Lebanese men and called in one of them ... for questioning," Chalerm said. "Technically the two men have not committed any crimes under the Thai law, so we could only use the immigration law to keep this one suspect in custody," he said.


"I want to confirm and I am confident that we have the situation under control. And I can guarantee ... no terrorist attacks will be allowed to take place. If they have disagreement, (they should) go fight somewhere else."

Lebanese held amid terror threat in Bangkok

[Butterfly]

2 arrested, how many more out there planning the attack ?

might be real,

[StrontiumDog]

Lebanese detained for questioning on terrorist threat in Bangkok

Lebanese detained for questioning on terrorist threat in Bangkok

วันศุกร์ ที่ 13 ม.ค. 2555


BANGKOK, Jan 13 - Thai Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said on Friday that a Lebanese man with suspected links to a militant group in Lebanon was being questioned after the US embassy in Bangkok issued a terrorist threat warning in the capital on Friday afternoon.

The website of the US embassy in Bangkok published the warning, urging all Americans living or visiting in the Thai capital to be on high alert when "visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok".

Deputy PM Chalerm added another Lebanese man from the same group was being called for questioning. Both are allegedly from Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim militant group in Lebanon.

He said so far there was no evidence that the suspect had committed any crime, so all the Thai authorities could do is to question him under immigration law.

According to Mr Chalerm, the government had been tipped off by the US authorities of the movement of the two suspects before New Year. The investigation could not be disclosed to the public, but he said the situation in the country is under control and that more police were ordered on duty at tourist attractions.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Friday also called on the public to stay calm and said the warning by the US embassy was not new.

The government has been keeping a close watch on the issue after being tipped off for some time, she said, adding that she assigned the National Intelligence Agency and National Police Bureau to keep an eye on such moves closely.

The premier assured the public that the government has put in place strict security measures as well as security personnel to ensure safety in public venues.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Information Department Director-General Thani Thongpakdee spoke of the message warning by the US embassy in Bangkok that the Thai government has received this information for awhile and has cooperated with Thai and foreign security agencies to have more measures for security concerns.

So far, other embassies to Thailand have not issued the same kind of warning, Mr Thani said. (MCOT online news)

-----
Thailand arrests suspect amid terror warning - CNN.com

Thailand arrests suspect amid terror warning

By the CNN Wire Staff
January 13, 2012 -- Updated 1157 GMT (1957 HKT)


Tourists visit a Buddhist temple in Bangkok. The U.S. has warned of possible terrorist attacks in the busy tourist areas of the city.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Thai investigators arrest terror suspect
• 'Foreign terrorists' could be planning attacks 'in the near future,' the U.S. Embassy says
• U.S. citizens are urged to be careful in busy tourist areas of Bangkok

(CNN) -- Investigators in Thailand have arrested a a Lebanese terror suspect who tried to attack spots in Bangkok that are popular with Western tourists, the Thai government said Friday.

The United States, meanwhile, warned its citizens in Thailand on Friday of the possibility of imminent terrorist attacks in busy tourist areas of Bangkok.

The terror suspect is believed to belong to Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim group active in Lebanon that the United States views as a terrorist organization.

The United States has passed information to Thai authorities that caused the Thai government to be on high alert and to look for suspects, said Thitima Chaisaeng, a spokeswoman for the Thai government.
Neighboring countries received similar information, Chaisaeng said.

The U.S. Embassy statement spoke of "foreign terrorists" who may be planning attacks "in the near future."

"U.S. citizens are urged to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok," a statement on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok said.

The embassy did not provide any further information on the source of the threat.

Thailand is a highly popular tourist destination and Bangkok serves as a major transport hub for the Southeast Asian region.

Thailand has undergone periods of unrest in recent years. It experienced a spate of political violence during anti-government demonstrations in 2010.

And Muslim separatists in southern Thailand have long battled government forces in a country that is overwhelmingly Buddhist, with a number of bombings taking place last year.

The embassy said U.S. citizens should "maintain a heightened awareness when out in public," advising them to be on the lookout for unattended packages and bags in public places and other crowded areas.

It also suggested that they "keep a low profile in public areas, particularly areas frequented by foreign tourists."

Fran Townsend, a national security analyst for CNN, reported that Thai officials at one of the airports serving Bangkok were conducting pat downs and bag searches on all passengers at the departure gate for U.S. air carriers on Sunday.

[StrontiumDog]

Thailand Arrests Hezbollah Terror Suspect, U.S. Warns of Attack - Businessweek

Thailand Arrests Hezbollah Terror Suspect, U.S. Warns of Attack

January 13, 2012, 6:35 AM EST
By Daniel Ten Kate

Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Thailand said it arrested a Lebanese terror suspect less than three hours after the U.S. warned of a possible attack in Bangkok and urged citizens to exercise caution in public areas.

Thai police arrested a suspect linked to Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah, Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung told reporters. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra confirmed that police had made an arrest.

“The situation is normal,” Police Chief Priewpan Damapong told reporters. “There is nothing to worry about.”

The U.S. warned today in an “emergency message” that “foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future.” U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney said on Twitter the threat is “Bangkok specific” and “credible.”

Thailand, a U.S. treaty ally that sent troops to Iraq in 2003, depends on tourism for about 7 percent of gross domestic product, according to the government. The benchmark SET Index fell 0.7 percent, the most in a month, after the U.S. warning.

Minor International Pcl, Thailand’s biggest hotel operator, dropped 3.4 percent, the most in seven weeks, Dusit Thani Pcl slumped 4 percent and Shangri-la Hotel Bangkok Pcl fell 3.1 percent. Thailand had about 19 million tourist visits last year, according to official statistics.

INN News cited Chalerm as saying two suspects were arrested. The threat is probably related to U.S. moves to sanction Iran over its nuclear weapons program, according to Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based analyst at IHS Jane’s.

Iranian Tensions

The U.S. is “looking at pro-Iranian groups that might possibly react to what may very well go down in the Straits of Hormuz and possibly beyond,” Davis said. “It seems unlikely that terrorist attacks would be launched before the situation in the Middle East has escalated significantly.”

Tensions over the ratcheting up of sanctions led Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi to threaten on Dec. 27 that Iran may block the Strait of Hormuz, the transit for about a fifth of the world’s oil, if the European Union bans exports from the Islamic Republic.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner visited China and Japan this week to build support for tighter Iranian economic sanctions after international monitors detected an acceleration in the nation’s nuclear development program. Ally Japan pledged to reduce Iran oil imports after China rejected a similar move.

Hambali, the suspected leader of al-Qaeda in Southeast Asia and Jemaah Islamiyah’s operations chief who also goes by the name Riduan Isamuddin, was captured in Thailand in 2003 and is now in U.S. custody.