AUTHORITIES in Thailand have come to believe at least ten Islamic State militants have come into Thailand with the intention of attacking western targets, in particular Russian nationals, a leaked police memo has revealed.
The secret memo suggested information about ten Syrian members of ISIS that was provided to Thailand authorities by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), according to Bangkok-based news service Khaosod.
It said four suspects had traveled to Pattaya, two Bangkok and two to Phuket, with the remaining two heading to unknown locations. The potential for those to be in populated tourist areas such as Chiang Mai could be high.
However, the identities and locations of the terrorist suspects were not listed. The Thai police are struggling to ascertain the location despite having entry dates confirmed.
The memo warned authorities to increase security around venues frequented by or associated with western allies who have joined attacks on ISIS, like the United States, UK and Australia.
The timing of the warning would have been before a number of Islamic State-attributed attacks, including the October 31 downing of a Russian jet and the November 13 Paris attacks.
It follows the August 2015 Bangkok bombings, which saw 20 people killed and 125 injured. The motivation behind this attack despite someone being in custody is still unclear.
Thailand is a popular holiday destination for many allies in the fight against Islamic State.
Russia sends more than a million visitors to Thailand each year.
Members on the Thaivisa.com forum have been eager to discuss the potential risk this may or may not present. Some are talking in simple terms “Avoid Russians and their hangouts”, while other’s are quick to point out that recent attacks in Paris were not targeting Russian tourists.
Pattaya is considered by many as a soft target, with a potential for high casualties if an attack was to happen.