ExpertTripPlanner

Given today's events, I am having serious reservations about travelling to Bangkok in the autumn, as the election is scheduled for October 2007. Any thoughts?

rhkkmk

isn't it too early to make this snap decision....do we really know what happened today....who did it? is it issolated??

this kind of broad brush stroke does no one any favors??

eurotraveller

I think you have every right to be a bit shaken by todays events. 7 explosions is not something to take lighly. However, the authorities could very well find the bomber so at this point, I would adopt the wait and see attitude.

SueHuml

We leave on Friday for our very much anticipated return to Phuket and BKK. I have no thoughts of canceling at the moment and am hoping this is isolated and designed to cause maximum terror on NY Eve. Having traveled in London on several occasions where we were evacuated from the underground due to bomb threats(I'm originally from the UK) and staying almost next door to the US Embassy in London right after 9/11 - where it looked like we were staying in a barricaded war torn city, I'm not about to change my plans at this stage of the game
Sue

Girlspytravel

Expert-you're quite right to be concerned-and particularly, as you point out, your travel schedule has you arriving right before the elections. Do follow all State Dept. travel warning and public annoucements on Thailand in the next several months at www.state.gov

You can see how things shake out in the next 6 months or so, before making a decision.

cynstalker

Anyone have any insight into what's behind it? We're to leave in Feb - this makes me more nervous than the coup did.

Kathie

Expert, as others have said, it's way too early to make a decision about October. Keep up with the news.

Girlspytravel

No one knows as yet, but there are apparently several suspicious packages left around town-coordinated simultaneous attacks is an m.o. of al-Qaida, who are very much active in S.E. Asia, however it seems more likely that it is the spread of the Islamic insurgency problems in the South-and the two are not unrelated.

eurotraveller

There was another round of bombs that went off just after midnight, one at Central World Plaza.

There was a bomb that was found undetonated at Suan Lum NB.

Several farangs (westerners) have been injured.

This is terrible! I feel so bad for everyone affected by this. My heart goes out to the victims and their families.

ExpertTripPlanner

Here's an article from about an hour ago:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_....php?id=115639

I've been airlifted out of the Andes after a rabid dog bite, I've been held against my will in Tunisia and I have been gravely ill in Senegal. I have no need to put myself in, what appears to be, a deteriorating environment. A sad day for Thailand. I am certain that other potential travelers will avoid the place - the world is too big, and there are other wonderful places with fewer risks attached to them.

Part of the issue for me is the advance time and energy that I put into trip planning. While some have advised that I wait and see, I don't want to jeopardize plans and non-refundable deposits.

I'm out; sorry.

filmwill

Such a shame--if this is, indeed, terrorism (be it Thakin supporters of Islamic insurgents) then this is EXACTLY what they're aiming to do: create more fear.

It's what we Americans seem to thrive on in recent years and we're only caving into it more and more.

Sorry--not trying to be political. It's a sad day for Thailand but an even more sad day if we stop visiting such magical places because of something like this.

purplerose

I am leaving to Bagnkok Thailand within two weeks enroute to Sydney. I am a senior and am not stop living just because of these shamful acts of terrorist! I had been to Thailand several times and I will continue to be her friend. If anything, living in America posts higher danger than any place else. We all know who the terrorists always hate.

Girlspytravel

Actually, purplerose, your comments about living in the United States are possibly as inaccurate as any could be.

In fact, this country is without question, one of THE safest countries on earth. For the simple reason that it's locked up tighter than a drum, on many different levels, through many redundant layers of law enforcement coordinating at a local, state and federal level. Virtually nobody gets into the country-the borders are by no means porous, this country has the toughest laws on terrorism anywhere in the world.

As a result, there are NO major, or even minor terrorist threats in this country as of this date. None. Virtually no other country can say that, even Canada, because they don't have the type of all-encompassing laws that we do-I'm not necessarily saying that's the right way to go, but it IS a fact- you really have NO IDEA how safe you are right now in this country.

sharon1306

You are right to be concerned but you have time to decide whether you want to travel or not. We leave for Thailand on Feb 2nd, and we haven't considered canceling yet. We've put a lot of planning into this much-anticipated trip. We're hoping this is an isolated incident, like SueHuml said, and things normalize.

watts

I think its too early to call off your trips. It was a one time thing and hardly likely to happen again. Plus it was not aimed at the tourist locations and also, bombs go off everywhere in the world. Why the fear of Bangkok now

Girlspytravel

Watts-unless you have information that national law enforcement authorities in Thailand DON'T have, then you couldn't possibly make such a sweeping statement that it is a "one time thing." Was Bali a "one time thing?"

Moreover, your information about the location of NINE bombs-is in error-there were bombs set off PRECISELY in areas where tourists gather-nine bombs, 3 people killed, now at least 30 injured.

Perhaps you don't know Bangkok-I can tell you, having spent the last two New Year's Eves in Bangkok, there's no more touristy location than Central World Plaza-those bombs were placed strategically to maximize casualties.

In other words, if you want to justify to yourself, for whatever misguided reasons, that it's okay for you to go ahead and continue your plans to travel to this location, then fine, but to make affirmative pronouncements about the m.o. on these series of bombings, a matter you know nothing about is not exactly logical, in any way.

Having more than passing familiarity with the terrorism threat in this part of the world, I would say that, this has nothing to do with Thaksin supporters-it simply does not have the "signature" of such political actions/unrest. On the other hand, it could very well be an al-Qaeda like faction, as it does bear many of the hallmarks of their operations, or the insurgency moving northwards, in conjunction with such factions.

And, it could very well happen again. The number of bombs, their location-the timing, this is nothing to take lightly, that's for sure.

bkkmei

girlspytravel
I agree we can't rule this spate of bombings as a one-off. But I don't think tourists were targetted specifically. Most of the bombs were in non-touristy areas such as Klong Toey, seacon square - very busy areas for locals. Of course central world will be busy - it's the major countdown for new year's in bangkok - it'll attract tourists and locals alike.

mcbeanie

We are in BKK now and were at the CWP shortly before the bombs went off. Things are really continuing the same as ever. No one really knows who is responsible, but the police are working on it. I don't see this as a continuing problem. All New Year's Eve celebrations were cancelled last night -- which was the biggest disappointment to everyone. Personally, rhkkmk is probably right -- this will probably blow over.

mcb

DonTopaz

I would encourage anyone who wants to pay close attention to developments as reported by local news outlets such as the Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com) and The Nation (www.nationmultimedia.com).

When evaluating the value of posts made on Fodor's, it's a good idea to consider a poster's history. <b>Girlspytravel</b>, for example, is known on other boards for often creating more heat than light. That poster immediately pointed the finger at a Muslim source (Qaeda and/or southern insurgents), and then the same poster won the daily Irony Award by castigating another poster, &quot;unless you have information that national law enforcement authorities in Thailand DON'T have, then you couldn't possibly make such a sweeping statement...&quot;

If track record is an indicator, Girlspytravel will continue to post on this thread and generally cause more disruption than provide useful information. It's up to the individual participants of this forum as to much weight and credibility they give to her posts.

fuzzylogic

Well said, Rizzuto - If it hadn't been for you I'd have gone into overdrive over the lunacy of spygirl's posts.

She/he/it's opinions certainly do nothing to counter the easily held view that the US is one big dangerous joke.

Travel on, read on, keep thinking, dear fodorites. And never let the bastards grind you down.