Abandoned motorcycles prompt Hua Hin bomb alert

[Geko]

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: Three motorcycles with southern licence plates abandoned at Hua Hin train station in Hua Hin district prompted a bomb alert on Sunday.

At about noon on Sunday staff of the train station informed local police of the three motorcycles, one of which had been parked there for a week, since July 28. The red Honda Wave, blue Yamaha Mio and black-gold Yamaha Fino motorcycles bore licence plates of Narathiwat, Pattani and Surat Thani provinces.

A bomb squad then arrived, and sniffer dogs were deployed.

The train station was closed and a 200-metre radius was cordoned off. All trains were barred from entering the station, leaving many train passengers stranded.

Bomb experts shot high-speed jets of water at the three motorcycles before examining them. They did not find any explosives, and the vehicles were then taken to Hua Hin police station. The security operation took about three hours.

Police later found from surveillance camera footage that a woman parked the blue Yamaha Mio motorcycle at the Hua Hin train station on July 28 before boarding a train. The two other motorcycles had been parked there since Friday, when a series of bombs were found in greater Bangkok.

Later a 31-year-old woman identified as Nuree Han showed up to claim the red Honda Wave motorcycle registered in Pattani. She said that her husband parked it at the train station before heading for his home in Pattani to attend the funeral of a relative.

She did not immediately accompany him, she said, because she had just delivered a baby girl. She arrived at the Hua Hin train station on Sunday to board a train to follow her husband, only to find that their motorcycle had been partially destroyed.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... bomb-alert

[HHTel]

My wife when taking my grandson for a haircut had to do a detour. She was told by the police that the roads were closed due to the prince being in town.
We've since learned as the above post explained that the three motorbikes although having been parked for a couple of days were just innocent bikes.
I guess the woman who turned up today would have reacted "What's happened to my bike?"
An example of complete paranoia.

I've read and heard stories that bombs were heard going off at the station, bomb laden bikes had been abandoned, insurgents were targeting Hua Hin.
The western media picked up the story causing my daughter to call to clarify that everything was ok.

Ridiculous! I'm sure some will respond that OTT caution was better than no action at all, but at what point do we crawl under our beds for safety.

[stretch]

Enough caution if you have been or seen a bomb explosion then there is never enough caution give the police and military credit

[caller]

Out of curiosity, is it easy for bike owners to register their new address? Or is the hassle involved an issue. Might have nipped this problem in the bud if the owners could have easily been traced in Hua Hin.

[buksida]

The story has made it into Chinese media too which will be another blow for tourism ...

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-0 ... 283362.htm

[hhinner]

Out of curiosity, is it easy for bike owners to register their new address? Or is the hassle involved an issue. Might have nipped this problem in the bud if the owners could have easily been traced in Hua Hin.

TM 30 for Thais would do it.

[Nereus]

Hua Hin urged to install stalled security cameras system

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ras-system

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: The municipality of Hua Hin is being pushed to speed up the planned installation of hundreds of public-area security cameras in the wake of Sunday's motorcycle-bombs scare.

Provincial governor Panlop Singhaseni on Monday advised municipal authorities in the resort town to complete procurement conditions for 400 high-definition CCTV cameras.

The 50-million-baht purchases was proposed after Hua Hin district was hit by a series of bomb blasts in 2016 that killed one person and wounded 20 others, seven of them foreigners.

The plan stalled when the Provincial Electricity Authority refused to allow use of its poles for the cameras and cables, for fear they could disrupt the power supply.

A bomb alert on Sunday focussing on three parked motorcycles with southern licence plates parked near the train station reignited concerns over the need for improved safety in the town.

Hua Hin municipality currently has 90 surveillance cameras manned by the Tourist Police office, and another 60 operated by the municipal office.

[Big Boy]

Incredible

[T.O.M.]

From above...:
"A bomb alert on Sunday focussing on three parked motorcycles with southern licence plates parked near the train station reignited concerns over the need for improved safety in the town."

Paranoia is alive and well....How would 50 million worth of security cameras have prevented the innocent owners of the motorbikes to park them at the train station...?

[Big Boy]

Incredible the Provincial Electricity Authority refused to allow use of its poles for the cameras and cables, for fear they could disrupt the power supply.

[Bazbaz]

Post moved to a new thread Why stay if Hua Hin and/or Thailand is that bad? for discussion.

https://huahinforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=38406

[hhinner]

Incredible the Provincial Electricity Authority refused to allow use of its poles for the cameras and cables, for fear they could disrupt the power supply.

Must be all the data cables on the power poles that cause the usual disruptions then.