Thailand is caught in a serious security situation following the recent arrest of a foreign terrorist suspect at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
The arrest of Hussein Atris, allegedly a member of the Hezbollah militant group based in Lebanon, followed a flurry of activities that caught many Thai security officials by surprise.
The website of the US embassy in Bangkok had warned American citizens here to be on alert, while those in the United States were advised not to travel to Thailand.
The warnings will certainly affect Thailand's tourism industry and the national economy, which has yet to recover fully from last year's devastating flood.
Thailand has long been known as a haven for tourists as well as those who want to exploit its legal loopholes. Fake goods and documents can be bought on the streets and people travel freely across our borders with neighbouring countries. But Thailand has not faced any real threat from international terrorists for quite some time. Threats of violence are all home-grown. The arrest of Mr Hussein is therefore cause for concern. Though I wonder why the US government issued the warnings without first consulting its Thai counterpart.