Explosions in Thailand. attacks in Thailand. Tyumen tourists vacationing there talk about the situation at the resort5584

The authorities deny the connection of the incident with international terrorism

A whole series of explosions occurred on Thursday evening and Friday morning at resorts in Thailand. Four people became their victims, several dozen were injured. Among them were foreigners, according to local police.

Although it is not known exactly who organized the explosions, Thai law enforcement agencies deny the connection of what happened with international terrorism. Meanwhile, back in December last year, there was a rumor in the media citing sources in the Thai police that the Islamic State (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation) was preparing terrorist attacks against foreign (and in particular, Russian) tourists.

Moreover, there are doubts that the current attacks were staged by separatists who advocate separation from Thailand of the southern regions, where the majority of the population is Muslim. The most high-profile terrorist attack in the south of the kingdom was a series of explosions on March 31, 2012 in the provinces of Yala and Songkhla. Their victims were 16 people.

Now the authorities, commenting on the latest explosions, are talking about some kind of "local sabotage", in addition, "limited to certain areas." It is possible that opponents of the ruling military regime, which came to power about two years ago and recently held a constitutional referendum, which strengthened the army's ability to influence the country's politics, could be behind the explosions. It is noteworthy that on Friday the 84th birthday of Queen Sirikit is celebrated in Thailand. And the military in power has repeatedly stated that their top priority is protecting the monarchy.

If we talk about “linking” to dates, we can see that the current series of terrorist attacks happened a few days before August 17, 2015. Then, as a result of an explosion near the Hindu sanctuary of Erawan, more than 20 people died (among the dead, 14 people were foreigners, including 7 citizens of China and Hong Kong), more than 100 were injured ...

It is quite obvious that the tourism industry of Thailand, which is one of the pillars of the economy of this Asian country, has become the main target of the terrorists. All explosions occurred south of Bangkok. One of them thundered on Patong Beach in Phuket, and three in the seaside resort of Hua Hin.

In Hua Hin, the attacks were staged on a crowded street where there are many bars and restaurants. A tourist died there, as well as a food peddler. Among the victims, according to media reports, there are citizens of Great Britain, Austria, Italy, Holland and Germany. According to police, the bombs were hidden in the flower beds and activated by remote control with a difference of half an hour.

Two more bombs were detonated in front of police stations in southern Thailand in the district of Surat Thani. One person died and three were injured. Two explosions took place near the market in Fang-Na - fortunately, no one was injured there.

One person was killed in a bomb blast in the southern province of Trang. In just 24 hours, 11 bombs were detonated in 5 Thai provinces.

The explosion took place in the Thai province of Narathiwat. An improvised explosive device was planted on a police route and, apparently, should have worked at the time of the passage of the patrol. However, the 20 kg bomb detonated when no one was around. The explosion is associated with the separatist movement in the southern regions of the country. This was another wake-up call not only for the security services of Thailand, but also for tourists. Last week, the radical separatists for the first time chose the resort areas of the country as their target.

The explosions that took place at the resorts in southern Thailand on August 11-12 and claimed the lives of four people were also linked by the authorities with the separatists of the "extreme south". According to the authorities, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional group may be behind the explosions.

In the neighboring Philippines, the Abu Sayyaf, a radical Islamist separatist group, swore allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) banned in Russia back in July 2014. IS claimed responsibility for the January 2016 bombings in the Indonesian capital Jakarta. Explosions on August 11-12 in Thailand are not associated with this organization. However, these attacks bring the separatists closer to IS, whose attacks are aimed at intimidating the widest possible sections of the population.

Photo report: A series of explosions in Thailand, there are dead and injured

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If Thai separatists have switched to ISIS tactics, foreign Islamist fighters may be drawn to the "extreme south". And this will already lead to significant destabilization in Thailand.

A large part of the blame lies with the country's authorities, who for many years brutally suppressed the separatists and turned them from a spontaneous regional opposition into an effective militant group.

Extremely cruel south

The “Far South” in Thailand refers to several provinces on the border with Malaysia, where Yawi Malays live, these are Songkhla, Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala. Ethnic Thais represent a smaller proportion of the population in these provinces. They live mainly in cities, represent there middle class and the elite. Their religion is Buddhism. The majority of Yawi Malays are poor, poorly educated rural population who practice Islam.

It turns out a clear ethno-religious economic division: rich Thais and poor Malays. These social contradictions caused at first protests, and later - the armed struggle of the Malay underground organizations against the government and local Thais.

Peaceful protests with various economic demands periodically took place in the cities of the "extreme south". From the perspective of the Malays, an upsurge of violence occurred in 2004 during the rule of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He has consistently tried to solve the "Malay question" by force from the very beginning of his reign in 2001. Underground groups aimed at armed resistance immediately began to emerge among the Malays. In April 2004, about a hundred Malays tried to attack police stations in Pattani province. Among them are several dozen teenagers.

There are two versions of further events: state and Malay. From the point of view of the state, the attackers were well armed, but the police were able to successfully repel the attacks. Most of the attackers were killed, 32 surviving teenagers aged 15-20 took refuge in the ancient stone mosque "Krue Se". Army special forces stormed the mosque, all who were there were killed.

Malay version: the attacks against the police were an act of desperation, the teenagers were armed mainly with knives, only a few people had pistols, so the police managed to deal with them so easily. What happened in "Krue Se" is a demonstrative massacre. Allegedly, the military themselves took the arrested to the mosque and shot them.

At least a few days later, Senator Kraisak Choonhavan announced that most had been shot in the head.

Why did the military choose Krue Se? The answer for the Malays is obvious: this is the oldest mosque in the "extreme south", the legacy of the independent Great Pattani Sultanate (it existed for 200 years, was captured by the Thai kingdom at the end of the 18th century), one of the symbols of the former greatness of reality. A total of 108 Malays died that day. This is the first episode that has led to an escalation of violence between the state and the Malays.

The second occurred in October of the same 2004. In the town of Tak-Bai on the border with Malaysia, the police arrested six local residents. They were accused of terrorist activities and possession of weapons by one of the underground organizations. Local men gathered to protest, demanding that the arrested be released.

To disperse the demonstrators, the authorities used special police units and the army. The dispersal was abundantly covered by TV journalists, so the events of Tak-Bai for the Malays became the clearest evidence of the policy of oppression on ethno-religious grounds.

The beginning of the war

Tear gas and small arms were used against the demonstrators. Seven people died on the spot. Hundreds of people were beaten and forced by the military to take off their pants or traditional sarong skirts and lie down on the ground. The detainees were then loaded into covered trucks to be taken to police stations. During the trip, another 78 people died from lack of air, people had to lie on top of each other. Prime Minister Shinawatra fully supported the actions of the military.

After these events, the resistance of the Malays acquired a more brutal and massive character. The government had to reinforce roadblocks in rural areas. Periodically there were skirmishes between the Malays and the security forces. Improvised explosive devices have exploded near police stations and army bases or along military routes. Buddhist monasteries, schools and government institutions were attacked.

The main demand of the underground organizations of the "extreme south" is to grant independence to four provinces populated mainly by Malays: Songkhla, Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani. As for what the future of these provinces should be, the positions of the undergroundists diverged. Some called for unification with Malaysia, others believed that it was necessary to create independent state under the name of Great Pattani, as the Sultanate of Yawi was once called.

According to the results of 2004, there were about 1 thousand acts of violence in the "extreme south", one way or another connected with separatism. About 400 people died. The following year, 500 people died.

The Thai military was already on constant duty in monasteries and schools. The departure of the monks outside the monasteries took place in armored vehicles, accompanied by soldiers. Ethnic Thais began to leave the region.

All this time, violence did not spread beyond the "extreme south". The separatists seemed to make it clear: we are fighting for our own land, we do not need someone else's.

Foreigners become the target

Although the government accused the separatists of being Salafism, a radical Islamic movement, the Malays did not attack or take foreigners hostage. If foreigners became victims of explosions, it was by accident. In places of rest, on the beaches, terrorist attacks were not carried out. For example, in the city of Songkhla on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand there is a small diaspora of foreigners, and clashes between the separatists and the government did not affect them in any way.

In the province of the "extreme south", including in rural areas, which the Thai military considers extremely dangerous, the negativity of local Malays towards foreigners was not felt at all until very recently. Local residents, on the contrary, are friendly and glad to a foreigner - for them this is a rather rare occurrence.

The Thai military and police paid little attention to the rare foreigner: they know he is not a separatist target.

After the overthrow of Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006, the military took power in Thailand and tried to stabilize the situation in the "far south". The new chairman of the government, General Surayud Chulanont, initiated the start of peace negotiations with the separatists. Meetings between government officials and separatists took place in Malaysia. The Malaysian government in every way emphasized its commitment to the territorial integrity of the neighbor and normalization in the regions of the "extreme south". However, the negotiation process has stalled.

The very next year, the government again accused the Malay separatists of links with the terrorist Al-Qaeda and the Taliban (banned in Russia). The confrontation is back on track.

Since 2011, Thaksin's sister Yingluck Shinawatra has become the prime minister of the country as a result of victory in parliamentary elections. Under her, violence in the south of the country acquired the character of a full-fledged civil war.

Violence was drastically reduced in the fall of 2013, when mass opposition protests against the government began in the capital, Bangkok, the so-called Yellow Revolution.

The separatists supported the protests. Malay civil organizations took part in the demonstrations. Opposition leaders, including the leading Democratic Party, promised to solve the problems of the "far south" peacefully and criticized Yingluck Shinawatra for military operations against the Malay population.

In May 2014, Yingluck was arrested by the military (for several months they remained neutral in the "yellow revolution"). The new government was again formed from army officers, headed by the current Prime Minister of the country, Prayut Chan-Ocha. He did not take serious steps to resolve the conflict in the "extreme south". This conflict continues to this day.

On Monday, August 15, an explosion occurred in the province of Yala: an explosive device went off under the roadbed, which was patrolled by the military, two marines were injured. In total, since 2004, 6.5 thousand people have died in the armed conflict in the "extreme south", mostly civilians.

On the morning before the attacks on the resorts of Thailand, the state-run Thai Rath published an article that criticized the authorities for being too "soft" on the separatists in the Muslim south.

Whether the resort bombings will force the Thai leadership to reconsider this concept will become clear soon.

And Narathiwat (south of Thailand) during the day - May 20, 14 explosions thundered. Explosions originated from the use of improvised explosive devices. Most of the devices used by the attackers were planted at ATMs of various banking and financial institutions in Thailand. As a result of the explosions, power lines were damaged and the power supply to some buildings was interrupted.
At least three people were injured in a series of explosions in southern Thailand. The explosions were carried out by groups of Islamic separatists who have been terrorizing the south of Thailand for more than a year.
A member of the paramilitary police, as well as two local residents, were injured in a series of explosions. The police believe that separatist groups operating in the region are behind the attack.
Islamic separatists have been operating in the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat for more than 12 years, leading guerrilla war for independence from Bangkok. A special security regime has been introduced in the region. During the conflict, more than 7,000 people died as a result of explosions and shootings.

January 22, 2018. Explosions in Thailand. More than 20 people were injured in an explosion at a market in Thailand, and three people were killed.
The explosion occurred at 6:20 am local time in a market in the city of Yala, the capital of the province of the same name. southern province Thailand, not far from the Malaysian border.
An improvised explosive device, which was hidden in a motorcycle parked near a stand with ready-made food, went off. As a result, as previously reported, three people died, more than 20 were injured and were hospitalized. On this moment none of the separatist groups operating in this region of the country claimed responsibility for the explosion.
in the south are carried out with regular frequency. The religious conflict in Thailand has been going on since 2004, during which time more than 6.5 thousand people have died. Clashes are taking place in Pattani and Narthiwat, where Muslims make up the majority of the population.

Two explosions happened on Tuesday May 9, 2017 near a supermarket in the Thai city of Pattani, 40 people were injured, Agence France-Presse reported, citing local police.
The number of people injured in explosions near a supermarket in the Thai city of Pattani has risen to 59 people, according to the Bangkok Post newspaper. Earlier it was reported about 51 victims.
Explosive devices went off with a small time difference around 14.00 (10.00 Moscow time). According to police, the first bomb was attached to a motorcycle parked nearby, the second detonated in a car. At the time of the second explosion, the police were already at the scene.

According to the publication, most of the victims are children and their parents who made purchases for the school. Now 21 people have already been discharged from the hospital, but the condition of two of the remaining ones is assessed as critical.

August 11, 2016. Thailand.

Two explosions occurred in the resort of Hua Hin in the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan (on the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand) in Thailand. According to local media, the first explosion occurred at 22.35 local time (18.35 Moscow time) near a bar in the tourist area, the second - an hour later at another bar located 100 meters from the first. There were no casualties during the first explosion, the police and sappers arrived at the scene. When law enforcement officers examined the site of the first explosion, a second one was heard.
The BBC Broadcasting Corporation reported that explosive devices hidden in flower pots went off, they were triggered by mobile phone. As a result, 12 people were injured, including three foreign tourists. According to the latest updated data, the number of victims has increased to 24 people, the local Nation TV channel reported.

Hua Hin is a very respectable resort for Europeans, wealthy Thais and Chinese.
ALL EXPLOSIONS IN THAILAND HAPPENED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO POLICE STATIONS WITHIN AN HOUR AFTER THE FLAG HAS BEEN HOWERED ON THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY!
Later, a series of terrorist attacks occurred in the tourist areas of Thailand: on the island of Phuket, as well as in the cities of Surat Thani.
August 12, 2016. Phuket.
In the province of Phanga, which is located near Phuket, there were two more explosions at the local market. None of the people were hurt.
On Friday, Thailand celebrates the birthday of Queen Sirikit, wife of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). This holiday is also the national Mother's Day.
Among the foreigners injured in the explosions of two bombs in the resort town of Hua Hin in Thailand, there are citizens of the UK, the Netherlands and Germany.
TWO MORE EXPLOSIONS OCCURRED IN THE PROVINCE OF SURAT PHANI IN THE SOUTH OF THAILAND, 1 PERSON DIE.

As a result of a series of explosions that thundered in tourist areas in southern Thailand on Thursday, August 11, in the evening and on Friday, August 12, in the morning, four people were killed. More than 30 people injured, including foreign tourists.

Over the past 12 hours, extremists have staged a total of five explosions in the resort areas of the kingdom. Bombs went off near hotels, markets and police stations.

Explosives experts found several more failed land mines and neutralized them. As stated in our embassy in Thailand, there are no Russians among the victims and the dead.

This is the most powerful terrorist attack in the kingdom of Thailand in recent times.

Police has already detained the first suspects in the bombings. The authorities have stepped up security measures in crowded places: in markets, near hotels and on beaches. Highways and the railway leading to the resort town of Hua Hin are blocked.

How do Russian tourists feel, in particular, Tyumen residents, who are now on vacation in Thailand. What do local agencies say and predict about the demand for trips to Thailand - the portal site was sorted out

News of Tyumen and the Tyumen region - 12.08.2016

The night before, August 11, several explosions sounded at popular resorts in southern Thailand. According to preliminary data, four people became victims of emergency events, and dozens more were injured, Interfax Tourism reports with reference to the Air Force. The portal site talked with Tyumen tourists who are currently vacationing in Thailand.

Explosions in Thailand: when and what happened

According to media reports, explosions occurred on the island of Phuket, in Surat Thani district, in Hauhin, as well as in Trang province. A double explosion occurred in Hua Hin, killing two people and injuring foreign tourists. The police said that the explosive devices were most likely planted in the flower beds.

This morning, August 12, there were again explosions already in Surat Thani (a person died) and a terrorist attack in Phuket (the exact number of victims is unknown). Another bomb exploded in Trang province. As a result, another person died.

According to some media reports, the explosions may also be timed to coincide with a local holiday - on Friday, August 12, Thailand celebrates the birthday of Queen Sirikit.

There are now several Tyumen residents in the resorts of Thailand

Tyumen resident Maria Panova, who is relaxing with her husband on Karon Beach, says that immediately after the attacks, the streets were drastically deserted: neither the police nor the tourists themselves were visible.

We found out what's going on here from the news on the Internet. We ourselves are far from Patong, where the explosions happened. There is no panic among Russian tourists, but meanwhile, the streets are empty: there are few people, and for some reason there are no police. We fly home tomorrow morning, August 13th. We are very worried about what happened, you never know what else can happen ... We have been in Thailand for two weeks now, we bought tickets through a Tyumen agency.

In the photo: Maria Panova with her husband in Thailand

According to the large Tyumen travel company Travel tour, at the moment there should be few of our tourists in Thailand: it is not the season. In particular, no one rests there now from their travel agency.

Our tourists returned home from Thailand in early August, - says Marina Voloshina, manager of the travel company Travel tour. - There are no applications for Thailand now, because it's not the season, it's raining there. In general, Thailand is the best-selling destination in winter time. Demand for this resort increases several times in early October. It is in autumn that Tyumen residents book direct flights to this country.