The “Oh woe is me” and “This is Thailand” comments failed to materialise in force on the Internet, as usually happens when such discontents feel compelled to judge the Thai police. Instead, serious common sense took hold.
Apart from the call by a Bangkok general threatening the media to not “keep publishing” details of the memo or else “possibly” face the might of the Computer Crime Act, the reaction by the authorities involved was appropriate. The memo was acknowledged, the public were informed that it was being treated as a security concern and the search for suspects was already underway. So far the “suspects” found have turned out to be no more threatening than the usual foreigners.
The so-called witch-hunt for the person who leaked the memo should not see anyone called to task. Everyone has a right to be concerned. As the bombings in Bali in 2002 had shown, there are no such things as exact targets when it comes to bombings. Only primary targets; everyone else caught in the blast is collateral damage.
As for the doomsayers, if they weren’t frightened before, but are now, one has to ask: Why? It’s just as plausible that terrorists were on the ground even without warning from an intelligence agency. That’s how they work. And where would one run to? Malaysia? Australia? London? Paris? Nowhere is truly safe from such attacks. That’s the idea.
The action taken by the Royal Thai Police and its Special Branch, as well as the call by local authorities, including the Phuket Governor, to call for calm is the best advice any foreigner would hear even in their home country. Phuket has plenty of expats who’ve lived and worked through such times. The advice stays the same. Stay calm, go about your lives as usual, but report any suspicious items or people to the police at once.
If you see a bag or any other item suspiciously unattended, tell the nearest shop, bar or restaurant staff or other worker nearby – and leave the area. That’s all it takes to circumvent most forms of terror bombings.
And so, as we enter the festive season, it seems this year the message is, “Love thy neighbour, but never trust a stranger.