Deadly bomb blitz hits Bangkok Deadly bomb

DIGEST
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Thai tours gamble
NEWS
TOURISTS from Hong Kong
continue to head for the sun, sea
and sand of Thailand despite a
series of explosions that rocked
Bangkok late Sunday and early
Monday.
Thai Prime Minister Surayud
Chulanont said terrorists could
be planning further attacks
against a range of targets, including those frequented by tourists.
The British and Australian
governments have also advised
their citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to and within Bangkok
and be on heightened (提高) alert.
Returning tourists said they
heard explosions before a blackout (停電) and that policemen
were out in force. They said they
had been anxious to return to
Hong Kong, and there had been
many nervous passengers at
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport
jostling (推撞) to catch the next
flight home.
Deadly
bomb
blitz hits
Bangkok
Staff reporter
Published in The Standard on
2 January
Major New Year’s eve celebrations were
cancelled after a series of fatal explosions
Agencies
Published in The Standard on
1 January
Classroom activities
Research
E02
1. Study bomb attacks in
the Philippines and Thailand in the past few
years and the reasons
behind them.
2. Find out what steps the
governments of Southeast Asian countries have taken against bomb attacks.
3. Make a list of the pros and cons of visiting Southeast
Asian countries like Thailand and Indonesia.
Letter
1. Write a letter to the Editor about your views on
the recent bomb attack
on Thailand.
2. Email your friends or relatives to persuade them
against visiting Thailand
before the Lunar New
Year.
List
1. Prepare a list of do’s and
don’ts for people planning to visit Thailand.
2. Get into two groups and
debate on the motion
“that there are better
alternatives than bomb
attacks in dealing with
political differences”.
nt
(徒步旅行者) stay. The major public
New Year’s Eve celebration in the
northern city of Chiang Mai was
also cancelled.
There was no immediate claim of
responsibility (承認責任) for the
bombs, but police said they do not
believe the bombs are the work of
militants (激進分子) in the Muslimmajority (回教徒).
General Sondhi Boonyaratglin
said the bombs were “the work of
people who lost political power” but
he refused to speculate (推測) who
might actually be behind the attacks.
.t h
Rumours 謠言
k
A
hospital. Twelve people were discharged (出院), and 14 people were
admitted (入院) at three hospitals,”
he said.
Soldiers armed with M-16
assault rifles (突擊步槍) took over
areas around the places where the
bombs went off and rumours (謠言)
swept the city that a curfew (戒嚴)
would be imposed (強加於).
Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin went on stage at the main party
in the city’s major shopping district
and led the countdown more than
three hours early. Police then moved
in to usher people home.
They also pulled the plug on the
New Year party on Khao San Road,
where many foreign backpackers
w w w. st u d e
T least eight bombs
exploded in Bangkok on
Sunday night and Monday, killing three people
and wounding at least 38, shocking
the Thai capital into cancelling New
Year countdown celebrations.
Narenthorn Medical Centre
director Surachet Sathitniramai said
a 36-year-old man died in Ratvitee
hospital, near Bangkok’s Victory
Monument, where the second bomb
exploded causing the most damage.
Another 61-year-old man died in
Chulalongkorn hospital, near Klong
Toey market, where a bomb exploded early in the evening.
“There were 28 people injured
from the bombs. Two died later in
est
Impose 強加於
Militant 激進分子
Speculate 推測
Heighten 提高
a n d a rd .c o m
.h