The government's handling of the recent terror alert could drag Thailand into conflict with the Hezbollah militant group, analysts said yesterday.
Surachart Bamrungsuk of Chulalongkorn University's political science faculty expressed surprise at the publicity surrounding such a "delicate" and "sensitive" issue.
The operation warranted a much lower profile and suspect Atris Hussein should have been deported immediately after his arrest at Suvarnabhumi Airport last Thursday.
Detaining him and discussing details of the case was asking for trouble, Mr Surachart said. "We never know if alleged terrorist threats are real or not as all the information is secret," he said.
"Thailand should take into consideration the sensitivity of this issue and its consequences."
Some information, such as the alert from Israel on possible attacks, should not be made public, Mr Surachart said.
"Thailand could be drawn into conflict with Hezbollah if the group believes the Kingdom is collaborating with Israel against it," Mr Surachart warned.
The case could also affect ties between Thailand and Iran in the long run, he added, as Teheran supports Hezbollah.
Panitan Wattanayagorn, another security analyst at Chulalongkorn University, echoed Mr Surachart's view.
"We stand to lose on this case. We have nothing to gain," Mr Panitan said, citing the negative impact on tourism.
The case also underlined the failure of security authorities to arrest Mr Hussein when he first entered the country.
Mr Panitan and Charan Maluleem, an expert on Middle East affairs at Thammasat University, were also highly sceptical about the terror alert issued by the US embassy.
Mr Panitan said the arrest of Mr Hussein and the discovery of bomb-making equipment yesterday did not mean Hezbollah was trying to launch attacks in Thailand. Whether Mr Hussein is a member of the military wing of Hezbollah as alleged hasn't been confirmed, he added.
Mr Charun said Hezbollah normally targets Israelis and the alleged attempt to launch an attack on Thai soil was unprecedented.