Samui Songkran events to go ahead despite bomb blast
A man has been detained in connected with a car bomb which injured seven people on the Thai holiday island of Koh Samui.
The man was arrested in Nonthaburi province, close to Bangkok, after discovering a threatening post on his Facebook page, national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said.
Security on the island has been stepped up with an extra police presence ahead of the busy Songkran New Year holiday period, Prawut said.
Other areas holding large scale festivities such as Bangkok and Phuket will also get heightened security.
The bomb blast slightly injured seven Thais and a 12-year old Italian girl but all have been released from hospital.
The vehicle used in the attack was stolen in the Muslim majority southern province of Yala, but authorities are being cautious not to apportion blame too quickly.
The southern border regions in Thailand have been blighted by civic strife for more than a decade, claiming the lives of more than 6,000 people but has so far remained localized.
Songkran festival events will go ahead as planned and the incident will not have a lasting effect on local tourism, according to Supawan Tanomkieatipume, vice president of the Thai Hotels Association.
"There’s been no immediate cancellations by tourists who have booked hotel rooms in Samui during the Songkran Festival, she said.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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