FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Thailand is circling the wagons after a recent terrorist bomb scare in the heart of Bangkok— and some Thais are questioning if their nation’s relatively laisse-faire approach towards international visitors is the right one.

The swift police response hasn’t been mirrored by the Thai government, however, which appears to be focusing much more on damage-control than it is on solving the problem, or acknowledging serious gaps in Thailand’s security network exist.  Many have piled on Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, who said in a Feb 14 press statement that the attacks “were not acts of terrorism” and the bombers were merely assembling weapons for use in other countries – although he proceeded to request terrorists refrain from using Bangkok as a staging ground for any future violence.

Faine Greenwood reports for the UN Dispatch.