Security measures beefed up at southern Thai airports after Brussels' blasts

PHUKET, THAILAND, March 23 (TNA) - Thailand has stepped up security measures at airports and tourist destinations, especially those in the southern region, following a spate of bomb attacks in Brussels on March 22. Lieutenant General Tesa Siriwatho, Chief of Provincial Police Region 8, told journalists on Wednesday that security measures have been fully beefed up at all seven airports in the upper southern Thai region, particularly those in Phuket and Krabi Provinces, as well as on Samui Island in Surat Thani Province. Lieutenant General Tesa said although the situation in Thailand remains normal and there have been no reports on any suspicious person in the country, the security beef-up is a precaution, urging the public and international visitors not to be panic and to be confident in the official security systems. Meanwhile, Phuket International Airport Director Monrudee Ketphan told reporters that the Phuket International Airport has coordinated on updated intelligence reports with Special Branch police immediately after the bomb blasts in Brussels and has heightened security measures at the airport to the 3 Plus level as a precaution despite the normalcy so far. According to the director, apart from intensified and frequent patrols at the airport's compound and passenger terminals and strict inspections at checkpoints in nearby areas, explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) teams have also been set up around the clock to be well-prepared for any emergency. The director confirmed that flights and services at the Phuket International Airport have been operated as usual. The tightened security measures followed a spate of bomb blasts at an international airport and a metro station in Brussels, Belgium's capital, on March 22, killing at least 34 people and injuring about 170 others so far. (TNA)