1. Three bombs went off in Songkhla province in Southern Thailand, 950 kilometres south of Bangkok, at 20.30 hrs on 3 April 2005. The three points that were affected are
   - The Arrival Hall, Hat Yai Airport
   - Carrefour department store
   - The parking lot of Green World Hotel
   
   
2. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) regrets the incidents and offers its deepest sympathies to all the victims and their families.
   
   
3. Two people died (one Thai man and one Thai woman) and 60 were injured in the events. The injured are now being treated in various hospitals in Hat Yai.
   
   
4. 40 people suffered medium to serious injuries. Among them are six international visitors.
   

   -	Mrs Susan Henon (USA)
   -	Mr Yann Henon (French)
   -	Mr Lim Tiong Hin (Brunei)
   -	Mr Ang Sik Chuan (Brunei)
   -	Two Malaysian visitors currently in hospital, their identities yet to be confirmed.

   
   
5. TAT head office has delegated responsibility to the TAT Regional Office in Southern Thailand (Hat Yai) to provide regular updates of the situation and to ensure convenience for international visitors there especially to those who wish to change flight schedules or travel plans. The office will also coordinate with the private sector in Hat Yai district and Songkhla province. The address of TAT Office in Hat Yai :
   1/1 Soi 2 Nipat Uthit 3 Road, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110
   Tel. +66 (0) 7423 1055, 7423 8518, 7424 3747
   Fax. +66 (0) 7424 5986
   Email: tatsgkhl@tat.or.th
   
   
6. TAT head office in Bangkok will disseminate this information to its overseas offices, especially the offices located in countries whose citizens have been injured, so that they are kept abreast of the situation.
   
   
7. TAT Governor Mrs. Juthamas Siriwan is chairing a meeting with the private sector on 4 April 2005 at 15.00 hrs to assess the situation and seek ways to reduce the impact on tourism, especially on the Malaysian market which is Thailand’s main source of visitor arrivals for the southern region especially Hat Yai.
   
   
8. A joint working team of 40 people including senior management executives of TAT, tourism related business operators in Hat Yai and other regions led by Mr Suraphon Svetsreni, TAT Deputy Governor for Publicity and Public Relations, is heading to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 4 – 5 April 2005 to update the media and tour operators there.
   
   
9. The team will stress the actions taken by the Royal Thai Government to keep the situation under control. A committee is also being set up at a national level to address the situation.
   
   
10. There is no immediate information of the impact on visitor arrivals. Updates will be available soon.
    
    
11. Perhaps the only impact will be on Malaysian visitor arrivals to Thailand who come through overland border-crossings. This is a normal reaction and usually revives once peace and stability are restored.
    
    
12. In 2004, Thailand received a total of 1,404,929 visitors from Malaysia making Malaysia the overall biggest source of arrivals, followed by Japan at 1,212,213 visitors.
    
    
13. Of the total arrivals from Malaysia in 2004, 71.49% or 1,004,409 came overland. 703,027 stayed overnight, a 18.79% decline over 2003. Direct international visitors at Hat Yai airport in 2004 totalled 30,551, +41.07% over 2003. Domestic visitors at Hat Yai airport in 2004 totalled 180,710, + 37.63% over 2003.
    
    
14. Hat Yai Airport has been reopened and is functioning as normal.

4 April 2005
Crisis Communication Centre
Tourism Authority of Thailand