Thai Government Assures Tourist Areas Safe

By Jamaluddin Muhammad BANGKOK, Jan 16 (Bernama) -– Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Sunday gave an assurance that all public and tourist areas in the capital were safe, following a United States warning of possible terrorist attacks here. Ensuring the safety of tourists in the country, she told reporters during a visit to Chiangmai that she had asked the authorities to continue monitoring the situation closely. She said she had also assigned the foreign ministry to explain the matter to other countries so that the country's tourism would not be affected. The United States Embassy in Thailand, through its website on Friday, had warned its citizens in this country that foreign terrorists could be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in this capital in the near future. Few other countries, including Israel and Australia, have also issued travel alerts. Prior to the warning, Thai authorities arrested a 48-year-old Lebanese terrorist suspect at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport here on Thursday as he tried to leave the country. It was reported by the local media that the man, a member of the Hezbollah group based in Lebanon, confessed to the local police the attack was called off as the Thai authorities had already learned of the plot. Defence Minister Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapha Sunday confirmed that another suspect had already left the country. "The use of the internet by the suspect led police to his detention on Thursday," he said. -- BERNAMA