Skip to main content

Possible terror attack on US consulate, Thailand

Bangkok: Thai authorities have tightened security measures at the US Consulate in the northern province of Chiang Mai following reports that it was a possible target of attack from Al Qaida and Salafist terrorist groups this month, officials said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told reporters she had been informed about the reports and that she had ordered security agencies to add more forces to provide safety at the facility, 570 kilometres north of Bangkok.

“The US Embassy in Thailand has not requested any extra measures but we have to monitor the situation attentively,” Yingluck said.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung refused to give details about the threats, but said the reinforced measures had been put in place since February 6 and will continue until the end of multinational military exercises, called Cobra Gold, on Sunday.

“The reports did not come from foreign sources but from domestic sources. News like this has been going around for a while and I deem it dangerous,” Chalerm said.

The United States is among the seven nations participating in the exercises, which kicked off on Monday in Chiang Mai. The other countries involved are Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

“There are several reasons [for the warning] but I must keep them confidential,” Chalerm told reporters.

US Embassy spokesman Walter Braunohler in Bangkok said the US Consulate-General remained open for business but said precautions will be taken to protect US facilities.

“We continue to take any precautions to protect our facility — whether it’s in Bangkok, Chiang Mai or worldwide — our employees and our visitors,” Braunohler told The Associated Press.

Thailand has not been a major target for terrorism attacks, although in January 2012 the US and the Israeli embassies sent out warnings of a possible terror threat in the capital, which in the end saw the arrest of a Lebanese-Swedish suspect accused of possessing nearly 3,000 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, a fertiliser that can be used to make explosives.

A month later, two Iranian suspects were detained following an explosion on Valentine’s Day that saw four civilians wounded. The blast came a day after an Israeli diplomatic car was bombed in India — an attack Israel blamed on Iran.

Thailand is a long-standing partner of the United States and major non-Nato ally.

Source: http://gulfnews.com/news/world/other-world/possible-terror-attack-on-us-consulate-thailand-1.1145406

Comments

With reference to my earlier articles on epicentre/homegrown terrorism the above attack is a prove that there is huge task for the security/intelligence/enforcement agencies in this region to handle and contain the floods of terrorists attacks in near future.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Smart Security, Free Society: Malaysia’s Data Dilemma

In today’s digitally driven world, national security is no longer confined to borders or traditional threats. Cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and asymmetric warfare have become the new frontiers of conflict. Malaysia, strategically located in Southeast Asia and increasingly exposed to regional tensions and internal vulnerabilities, must strengthen its security apparatus. However, doing so must not come at the cost of civil liberties. Malaysia can enhance its security strategy by leveraging insights from advanced data platforms like those pioneered by Palantir Technologies, while maintaining strong democratic oversight to safeguard the fundamental freedoms protected by the Federal Constitution. Palantir Technologies, a U.S.-based company, gained prominence in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Its core software, Gotham, was designed to integrate fragmented intelligence and provide real-time, actionable insights to military and intelligence agencies. Over the years,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Syringe Attacks in Malaysia and France: Random Violence or Terrorism? - Part 3

The syringe attack on the 12-year-old son of Pandan MP and former Economy Minister, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, has shaken Malaysia. What initially appeared as a rare and bizarre incident now echoes a disturbing pattern witnessed abroad, notably in France. In June 2025, during the Fête de la Musique festival, over 145 people across France reported being pricked with syringes in crowded public areas. In both cases, the weapon of fear was not a gun or bomb but a syringe. When viewed together, the Rafizi incident and the mass needle attacks in France reveal an alarming global trend of unconventional, psychological violence that leaves behind not just physical uncertainty but emotional trauma. The question we must now ask is: are these acts simply random criminality, or should they be treated with the gravity of terrorist attacks? A Pattern Beyond Borders In France, the attacks spanned multiple cities, with 13 confirmed cases in Paris alone. Victims included women, men, and even min...
Post a Comment
Read more

Constitution of Malaysia: An Introduction Part 5

7 (1) No person shall be punished for an act or omission which was not punishable by law when it was done or made, and no person shall suffer greater punishment for an offence than was prescribed by law at the time it was committed. (2) A person who has been acquitted or convicted of an offence shall not be tried again for the same offence except where the conviction or acquittal has been quashed and a retrial ordered by a court superior to that by which he was acquitted or convicted.
Post a Comment
Read more