Officials need to wake up and admit the truth

Three explosions, six injured. Luckily no innocent people were killed. The American and British embassies, as well as others, have issued travel warnings. The first bomb accidentally goes off at a rented house. A bloodied Iranian who fled the house then lobs a bomb at a taxi that refuses to pick him up, then at a police car, and loses his legs in the blast. Another Iranian is arrested and his colleague is nabbed in a neighbouring country as he is about to flee on a flight back home to the Middle East.

Saeid Morati, one of the men charged, loses both legs after the bomb he hurled at police, who were in hot pursuit, bounces back off a tree and explodes in front of him.  A day later, two men who rented the house where one of the explosions had gone off are charged with an alleged bomb plot against Israeli diplomats in Bangkok. 

No, this is not part of a script for some cheap B movie. These incidents took place earlier this week in Bangkok, and just as amazing is the absurd response from the Thai authorities, who are trying hard to downplay the incidents for fear the international community will think negatively of Thailand.

Just a month ago, a Lebanese man, believed to be a member of Hezbollah, was charged with trying to carry out terrorist attacks in Thailand. A huge store of explosive materials was found in a warehouse he had rented. 

Thai authorities looked just as absurd when they tried to play down that episode in spite of the fact that all evidence suggested Thailand could be used as a lunch pad for the Iranian-backed group to commit terrorist attacks in the region. Worse, the authorities contradicted themselves to the point many have lost faith in their ability to handle abrupt and complicated issues like terrorist plots. 

This time around, it was more or less the same thing. Among the people who keep shooting themselves in the foot and not realising it was Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung.

First, he pretty much admitted that Thailand will now do profiling of inbound travellers, especially suspicious-looking foreigners. By that, he meant Middle-Easterners. 

Moreover, said Chalerm: “I would like to tell everyone that Thai officials in all sectors are in control of the situation and there’s nothing to be worried about.” 

Well, we heard the same statement last month. And then came the warehouse full of explosives and the arrest of the alleged Hezbollah member, who also holds a Swedish passport. 

On top of that, Thai intelligence officials were not to blame for any of this because the suspects had entered Thailand without weapons and had built their bombs in the country, he added.

Just as pathetic was a statement from Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, who dismissed the notion of terrorist activities in the country but at the same time admitted there was some similarity between the incident in Bangkok this week and assassination attempts against Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia. 

No matter how the officials try to spin it, this story of clownish assassins running around Bangkok, tossing deadly explosives at taxi-drivers and police officers, does not make us feel at ease.

Israel blamed Iran for plotting the Indian attack, as well as the one in Georgia, an allegation that Tehran denies. 

National Security Council Secretary-General Wichean Photephosree was correct in saying the incident in Bangkok this week was “caused by current international tensions in world politics” and that the battleground was not exclusive to Thailand but anywhere around the world. 

Like other officials, Wichean was trying hard to downplay the terrorism angle by saying the bombs were not designed for mass destruction but for assassination purposes – as if this is supposed to make us feel better.

Excuse us, but two high-profile incidents involving Middle-Eastern terrorist suspects within two months should be considered a cause for concern. 

What if the tables were turned and similar incidents happened in foreign cities frequented by Thai citizens? Would our diplomats and officials display the kind of selfishness we have seen this week?