Finnish tourists continue holidaying in Bangkok despite bombing

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An unprecedented series of eight bomb attacks shook the Thai capital Bangkok on Sunday evening, interrupting the New Year celebrations of many people, including a number of Finnish tourists. At least three people were killed and 38 others were injured in the blasts.
      So far no-one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, and the identity of the persons behind the attacks is not known.
      Following a military coup in September, Thailand has been under a new regime, and the current government is blaming the attacks on "groups that have lost their political power".
     
On Monday, life was reported to have more or less returned to normal in the Thai capital, which has a population of around nine million.
      In the wake of the bombings, several states including Finland issued warnings to their citizens in Bangkok, advising them to stay indoors, obviously assuming that more attacks were possible.
      Later on Monday, Finland's Foreign Ministry made a new announcement, saying that the Finns in the city should avoid unnecessary movement in public places with large crowds.
     
The peak tourist season in Thailand is the Christmas-New Year period, and thousands of Finnish tourists travel to Thailand every week during the high season.
      Approximately 1,000 Finns live permanently or stay over the winter in Thailand, estimates the Embassy of Finland in Bangkok. In addition, around 5,000 Finnish package tourists are currently visiting the country, according to Pirkko Kaikkonen from the Finnish Embassy.
      The majority of the Finnish visitors are staying in beach resorts such as Phuket and Pattaya. For example, only about 140 of the more than 4,000 package tourists flown to Thailand by the Finnish tour operator Aurinkomatkat are currently staying in the Thai capital. Finnish tourists have not reacted strongly to the events of Sunday, and the Embassy in Bangkok reported only around 50 calls.
     
Reportedly, Thailand's Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has said that supporters of Thailand's former regime were likely to be at fault, rather than Muslim separatists in the country's south.
      However, the political party Thai Rak Thai - previously led by disgraced former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra - has strongly denied any responsibility for the blasts.
      In recent years, Thailand has experienced a series of problems, including SARS and avian flu in 2003, the devastating tsunami that his the Andaman Sea coast at the end of 2004, and a bloodless military takeover in September 2006. These problems are likely to have a detrimental effect on the country's economy, and on tourism revenue in particular.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland urges its citizens in Thailand to stay calm and indoors (20.9.2006)

Links:
  Embassy of Finland in Bangkok

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