Backpackers on Khao San Road had differing responses to news about the bombings across Southern Thailand this weekend that killed four people and left 30 injured, including foreign tourists. They also had different levels of knowledge about increased security measures in place across the country.
Despite the fear and violence, the famed backpacker street was still packed with tourists
Some of them had noticed what was happening around them while others were unaware of the bombs that went off on Thursday and Friday in Hua Hin, Phuket, Trang, and Surat Thani. Some only became aware when they were contacted by their parents and asked to be careful and return home as quickly as possible.
According to a Spanish tourist named David on Khao San Road, “[Bangkok] seems so normal that I did not know there was violence. I watched the news [about] the bloody blasts after my parents called me, saying there were bombings and fires here,” reported The Nation.
The man still planned to travel south during his visit to Thailand and said he was not worried, since the country had been in unrest during his last visit, 10 years ago.
However, his girlfriend, was worried about what she should do if more bombings occurred. She said, “I would not have visited Thailand if I had known about the bombings,” she said.
One female Chinese tourist, Max, 26, planned to still have a blast on Khao San even though she was nervous. Still others said that they are used to terrorist actions in their own countries and were not worried.
A tourist from Israel on Khao San Road said he doesn’t worry about small bombings since there have been more serious bombings in his country for many years.
Other tourists said they were not worried about further bombings since there was such a high police presence in the area and they felt that the same thing could happen anywhere.
The UK and US issued travel advisories for their citizens in anticipation of the referendum vote on August 7. Since the bombings, 18 more countries have issued warnings for travelers coming to Thailand.
Two Japanese teenagers on vacation said they didn’t know about the warning from their country and had been on Khao San Road for two nights.
Pol. Maj. General Supapone Arunsit, commander of Immigration Division 1, said that many extra police had been sent to patrol the Khao San Road area and that 40 plainclothes officers were also on the street.
Whether they knew about the bombings or not, the number of revelers did not decreased on the famous street over the weekend and police noted that they may even be scared to travel outside of the city due to the bombings.
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