Travel warning for Thailand! Is an attack imminent?
Bangkok - Shortly before the monthly Full Moon Party on the Thai island of Koh Phangan, the German Embassy in Bangkok has issued a travel warning for potential visitors.
According to the embassy, this was due to reports of possible terrorist attacks specifically on Israeli citizens at the popular celebration on Friday. The Full Moon Party has been attracting countless tourists from all over the world to Haad Rin Beach for decades.
In recent days, there have been "indications of possible terrorist attacks" on the parties on the island north of Koh Samui, the embassy writes on its website.
According to the information, other music festivals or events with many foreign guests in other parts of the country could also become targets for attacks. Thailand tourists should currently avoid the Full Moon parties and other similar events, it said.
The security authorities in Surat Thani province have assured that Koh Phangan is safe and rejected reports of possible terrorist attacks on Israelis as untrue, the Bangkok Post newspaper reported.
Nevertheless, security measures had been stepped up as a precaution, said police chief Sermphong Sirikhong.
Is there a threat of an attack at the Full Moon parties?
Israeli media had previously reported a possible threat, citing internal Thai police documents. The Israeli authorities then issued a travel warning for their citizens.
Only a week ago, violent attacks on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam caused horror. The attacks were condemned worldwide as a shocking outbreak of anti-Semitic violence.
The Full Moon parties have been attracting more and more night owls to Koh Phangan since the late 1980s. Up to 30,000 people regularly take part in the event, where people danceto electronic music ranging from techno to tranceunder the full moon every month.