Thailand told to increase security in bombing's wake

By Max Constant

BANGKOK

A panel of local and foreign experts has highlighted “huge vulnerabilities” in Thailand's domestic security, concluding Tuesday that the junta must make efforts to improve its ability to counter "terrorist operations" in the wake of the Erawan Shrine bombing

Anthony Davis, a security consultant for IHS-Jane’s group, told a Bangkok university seminar that he did however remain “pessimistic" in the aftermath of the Aug. 17 blast which killed 20 people and injured over 130 others.

"I don’t think the bombing will be a watershed and change the way the security structure is organized," he told the “Thailand: the way forward after the Erawan Shrine Bombing” seminar, but quickly underlined that and "therein lies the problem".

"There are huge vulnerabilities in the field of domestic security in Thailand, partly because of the large presence of transnational organized crime in the country and partly because of official corruption which is impacting security itself,” he said.

To back up his point, he gave the example of a suspect in the shrine bombing who admitted having bribed Thai immigration officers to allow him to cross into Thailand from neighboring Laos.

Other experts in the panel and even police spokesman chief General Prawut Thavornsiri - who was among the speakers - concurred.

“We cannot deny we have weak points,” he told the 200 attendants, mostly foreign diplomats and foreign and Thai academics.

“That is why we are trying to improve our immigration technology system, by introducing by the end of the year a new device to match fingerprints and to match face recognition system."

Journalist Kavi Chongkittavorn, a veteran reporter at Bangkok's Nation newspaper, was also sanguine about the Thai state's capacity to counter "terrorism".

“Thailand is caught up in all this conflict. We lack the capacity but we don’t want to admit it,” he told the audience.

But contrary to Davis, he emphasized that a positive change could be triggered by the shock provoked by the bombing.

“The incident will change internal security governance tremendously,” he said.

He underlined that there was a common view within the country that all guests were of little concern as they loved being in the country so much

"Thais don’t think like this anymore,” he added.

A major point raised was the lack of coordination between the three main Thai intelligence agencies – the national intelligence agency, the special branch of the police department and the armed forces security centre – as well as a lack of expertise among Thai authorities in areas where international terrorist groups are active.

“Thailand has been repeatedly hit by people and organizations coming from the Middle-Eastern countries, but the question is to what extent Thailand is focussing its intelligence efforts to an area which is clearly an area of concern,” asked Davis.

“I see a lack of awareness and a lack of interest in places like north-western Syria."

Panitan Wattayanakorn, an adviser to the junta's deputy-prime minister and defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan, emphasized that efforts had already been made by the military, who have been in power since overthrowing the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra on May 22 last year.

“A centralized unified security operation centre chaired by General Prawit Wonguswan was established in October last year, with the objective of improving security and stability,” he said.

He also praised the police investigation into the bombing - which has been widely criticized for being confused - saying that “contrary to popular belief, police work was very good”.

Three suspects have been arrested since the bombing, but their alleged role in the operation as reflected in senior police officers’ statements - along with their motives - has varied day to day.