Terrorism

When I think about Pattaya, I realize that if there ever were a place that would anger fanatical Muslims, this would be it.

The principle reason Pattaya hasn't been hit by a terrorist attack yet is a matter of location: Southern Thai muslim terrorists would have to drive some 2,000 miles through 100% Buddhist lands, speaking their peculiar southern-Thai language. It's the equivalent of a car load of black guys driving through 2,000 miles of suburban Crackerville without once getting pulled over by cops. Not likely.

My opinion is that when (non-southern) Thailand is hit by a terrorist attack, it will not be the southern Muslim separatists doing the attacking. It will be Jemaah Islamiya or al Qaeda... but even they will have a long drive.

When it comes to an act of terrorism happening in Pattaya, my opinion is that it's a matter of when, not if. Still though, the drive Phuket is 1,500 miles shorter, and it hasn't been hit yet. So maybe I'm being overly pessimistic.