After series of threats:
Security beefed up for Thai PM
THAILAND: Security has been beefed up for Thailand’s Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva after two bomb incidents within two days, Thai media
reported Monday.
Abhisit changed his official vehicle from a Mercedes Benz to a new
bullet-proof Land Rover, the Nation online said.
Thai security |
* Security
beefed up after two bomb incidents within two days
* Army is ready to provide
bodyguards when it gets request
* prime minister’s motorcade was
interrupted twice early this month. |
Meanwhile, Anupong Paochinda, Thailand’s Army Chief said Monday that
the Army is ready to provide bodyguards for Abhisit when it gets
request.
Anupong made the remarks when asked to comment on the incidents that
prime minister’s motorcade was interrupted twice early this month.
On February 6, two cars tried to interrupt Abhisit’s motorcade in two
separate incidents.
At about 1 pm, two men in a white Honda tried to cut into the
motorcade traveling on an expressway near the Government House.
Police managed to stop the car without anyone hurt. Four hours later,
a taxi tried to cut into the motorcade. Security guards forced the taxi
to slow down.
As Thailand’s Supreme Court Criminal Division for Holders of
Political Positions is going to deliver a verdict on February 26
regarding whether to seize deposed former Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra’s 76.6 billion baht (2.3 billion U.S. dollars) in frozen
assets, more chaos has since been reported.
On February 1, bags filled with excrement and fermented fish were
thrown into Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s residence in central
Bangkok around noon and then security has been beefed up.
On February 13, an unidentified gunmen fired an M-79 grenade at a
state university, some 50 meters from the Government House in Bangkok
around 11 p.m., leaving four parked cars, a building and a pavilion
damaged, but no one got injured.
A day later, a C-4 bomb was found in the Supreme Court compound and
was demolished by police bomb squad.
It is reported that the bomb was powerful enough to destroy the whole
building. Enditem
Bangkok, Monday, Xinhua |