Three major tourism provinces in Thailand have announced they are heightening their security measures after explosives were planted across tourism hotspots earlier this week, including one at Phuket International Airport.
Two men, identified only as 29-year-old Muhamah and 27-year-old Sulaiman by Thai media, were arrested in connection with the explosives at 11 sites. The men are currently understood to be part of Barisan Revolusi Nasional group, an Islamist separatist group.
CCTV footage allegedly revealed the pair planting the bombs from June 21 until June 23, with many not being defused until days later.
Three suspicious devices were destroyed in Phuket International Airport, Patong Beach, and Laem Phromthep from June 24 until June 26, according to Thai newspaper Khaosod. The devices were reportedly designed to only mimic the sound of an explosion to cause panic and were not loaded with any shrapnel to cause physical harm.
Ahead of the devices’ discovery, Governor Angkur Silatevakul reported receiving online threats involving a motorcycle and suspicious objects in the city.
Investigators later found an abandoned motorcycle outside the central mosque and the suspicious devices at the Mahad Wood Sculpture Plaza and near Noppharat Thara Beach signs.
Risk to Israeli tourists in Thailand
The Thai embassy in Israel said in December that there had a record 209,320 Israeli tourists visited Thailand in 2023, making it a popular tourism destination for Israelis.
As Israel has battled a multi-front war over the past two years, it was understood by national security experts that enemy states and terror groups would likely target Israelis abroad - though Thailand only has a level 2 travel warning.
The Thai government has issued a red alert to Israelis staying on the Thai island of Koh Phagnan in November last year, noting possible attacks on Israelis planned since July 2023.