Britons warned against travel to southern Thailand

Britons have been warned not to travel to southern Thailand as there is a threat to British and other Western targets from terrorists, the Foreign Office has said.

The travel warning was issued over fears that a large quantity of explosive material, which was stolen in southern Thailand last month, could be intended for a terrorist attack in the near future.

Thai authorities have "expressed concern" that the stolen explosives may be used during the Songkran (Water Festival) which runs from April 9-15, the Foreign Office said.

On March 30, 1400kg of ammonium nitrate, 56 sticks of dynamite and 176 detonators were stolen in Yala province, southern Thailand. Thai authorities have since recovered 800kg of the ammonium nitrate.

There has been an upsurge of violence in the far southern provinces and the Thai government has implemented new security measures in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani.

Tourists have been urged to be especially vigilant in public places, particularly tourist sites, large resorts and hotels favoured by Westerners, and in airports, on public transport and in night clubs, bars, restaurants, shopping centres and places of worship.

All British institutions and businesses should keep their security arrangements under review, and British and international schools should be especially careful, the Foreign Office said.

Terrorism-linked incidents have been on the increase of late – an explosion on March 27 outside a bar in the Thai-Malaysian border town of Sungai Kolok in Narathiwat Province in injured 30 people, some seriously.

Thai authorities have also arrested a number of terrorist suspects, most notably a senior leader of Jemaah Islamiyah – the group implicated in the Bali and Jakarta bombings.

The US has also issued a travel warning to its citizens to exercise "special caution" and avoid non-essential travel if possible.

"The far south of Thailand has experienced incidents of criminally and politically motivated violence, including incidents attributed to armed local separatist or extremist groups," the US State Department said.

(gmcg)