BETONG: ONE of two Malaysians injured in a bomb explosion in a commercial district in Thailand’s violence-plagued south on Friday, has been discharged from Betong Hospital here.
The other, who is being treated for internal bleeding at the same hospital, was in stable condition.
Malaysian first consul officer in Thailand, Mohd Rozaimi Harun, said the two had been identified as Jeemihan, 27, and Seoh Choo Then, 68. Both are from Baling, Kedah.
Rozaimi said Seoh’s family had been informed of the matter and were on their way to the hospital.
“We are doing all we can to assist Seoh’s family. We have sent our team to Betong to check on the situation there,” he told the New Sunday Times yesterday.
A car bomb exploded outside a hotel in a busy shopping street in the Thai border town of Betong in the Yala province on Friday, killing three people and wounding more than 30.
Rozaimi advised Malaysians to stay away from border towns in southern Thailand in the wake of the Betong bombing.
“We have every reason to believe that border towns, frequented by tourists, are the targets now.
“This is one tactic to scare away tourists as well as to cripple the south’s economy,” he said, adding that the consulate was monitoring the latest developments there.
Rozaimi said Malaysians planning a trip to the south, including Hatyai, have been advised to postpone their visit as the situation there had yet to stabilise.
“We hope Malaysians will view the travel advisory issued on June 17 seriously and postpone unimportant visits, especially to the Yala, Patani and Narathiwat provinces for their own safety.
“We urge the people to constantly be in contact with our consulate to keep abreast of the latest developments in the south.”
A witness, Chang Cheng Hoo, 50, from Kuala Ketil, recalled how he ran helter-skelter through the back door of an entertainment outlet when he heard the explosion.
Chang thought someone was playing with firecrackers, but when he saw thick black smoke billowing from Betong Holiday Hill Hotel, he knew something was wrong.
Chang was with five friends having a drink at the nearby Good View entertainment outlet when they scrambled to safety following the explosion.
“It was a scene of chaos. We heard a woman telling us to run to safety.
“I ran when I saw a woman with blood oozing out from her neck. I believe she was hit by a shard of glass.
“This is the first time I had come face-to-face with such a tense situation, although I had visited the south often over the past five years.
“I am shaking all over and get the jitters when I think about the incident. I am now afraid to visit the south again.”
Chang said he and his friends had arrived here at 2.30pm on Friday, about two hours before the bombing.
He said his friends’ Proton Wira and Toyota Camry were damaged in the explosion.
“I saw how cars and motorcycles parked near the hotel were all damaged,” Chang said.
Meanwhile, checks by the New Sunday Times at Bukit Berapit in Pengkalan Hulu, where the Malaysian Customs, Immigration and quarantine checkpoint is located, yesterday, showed long queues of people, mainly Thai nationals, waiting to have their passports stamped. However, there was a significant absence of Malaysians.
Pengkalan Hulu is 7km from here.
Betong is a famous shopping haven for Malaysians, especially during weekends and public holidays, and had never been the target of attacks before.
-NST
