Another explosion occurs & the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raises Bangkok travel alert to "orange"

▲ Explosion at Bangkok’s Chidlom Station. (Photo / Darkei Images / AP)

An explosion occurred in Bangkok, Thailand on the 17th. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had originally maintained the travel alert level at "yellow," but at 13:20 on the 18th, another explosion took place at the tourist pier in Bangkok's downtown Sathorn district. An explosive device was thrown and bounced into the river before detonating, but no casualties were reported. As this was the second consecutive explosion since August 17,the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised the travel alert level for Bangkok, Thailand, to "orange" (high caution, avoid non-essential travel) in the evening of the 18th..

The Bureau of Consular Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that Thai officials have confirmed that at around 13:20 local time on August 18, another explosion occurred at the tourist pier in Bangkok's downtown Sathorn district. An explosive device was thrown and bounced into the river before detonating. It is reported that no casualties occurred, but as the area is a ferry transfer point frequently used by tourists, with large numbers of visitors coming and going, it is believed that the motive behind the attack was not simple. This marks the second consecutive explosion since August 17 and warrants high attention and vigilance from the public.

According to a Thai official report on August 18, the explosion that occurred near the Erawan Shrine tourist site in central Bangkok on the evening of August 17 has resulted in 20 deaths and 125 injuries, including six Taiwanese nationals among the injured. The Thai government has announced the addition of 88 temporary checkpoints in downtown Bangkok and has deployed 1,162 personnel (609 soldiers and 553 police officers) to assist in the investigation of suspects related to the explosion. Downtown Bangkok remains under a high state of alert. As the details of the two explosions remain unclear, the possibility of further explosions cannot be ruled out. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds nationals who need to travel to Bangkok for business in the near future to avoid crowded areas and to stay vigilant of their surroundings at all times.Please feel free to contact the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand if you need any assistance. Their emergency assistance hotline is: (66)-81-6664006.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also noted that the travel alerts it issues are primarily reference information for citizens traveling abroad and are advisory in nature. They are not necessarily tied to the application of standardized travel contract clauses nor do they carry mandatory binding force. Citizens should still make their own travel decisions.


Travel Alert Levels:Do not travel
Orange Alert:High caution, avoid non-essential travel
Yellow Alert:Pay special attention to travel safety and reconsider whether to travel
Gray Alert:Be alert

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