The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday confirmed that six Taiwanese were injured in Monday evening’s explosion near a popular Bangkok shrine that killed at least 20 people and injured more than 120, and it urged travelers to stay away from 10 areas in the Thai capital that are deemed dangerous.
The six include a man, surnamed Chang (張), who sustained leg fractures and has undergone surgery, and his daughter, who suffered minor injuries. They were traveling independently in Thailand, not as part of a tour group.
Another father and daughter pair who were injured are also surnamed Chang, but they were on a tour organized by the Lion Travel Service Co (雄獅旅行社), the ministry said. It said the man was slightly hurt, while his daughter’s legs were fractured. His other daughter escaped serious injury. The trio returned to Taiwan yesterday.
Photo: Yao Chieh-hsiu, Taipei Times
The other two Taiwanese are a woman, surnamed Hung (洪), who suffered severe burns and is hospitalized in intensive care in Bangkok, and her male acquaintance, surnamed Hsu (徐), who is being treated for severe injuries at another hospital. Hsu had initially been listed as missing after the blast.
Two of the six injured returned home yesterday, the ministry said, although it did not identify them. It said the government’s representative office in the kingdom would continue to monitor those still hospitalized in Bangkok.
“The ministry has updated the content of its travel warning for Thailand following the tragic blast by including a list of 10 dangerous zones released by that nation’s military,” Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Deputy Director-General Bob Chen (陳龍錦) told a news conference in Taipei.
He said the 10 areas are: Rachapasong near the Erawan Shrine, Pratumwan, Silom Road, Khao San Road, Narattiwat Road, Victory Monument, Rama 6 Road (Duk Chai), Benjasiri Park near the Emporium shopping mall, Thonglor Road and Sukhumvit Road.
The ministry has decided to raise its travel advisory to orange — the second-highest in its four-color alert system — for Bangkok, warning travelers to exercise caution and to avoid travel to the affected area if possible.
The Tourism Bureau said its statistics show a total of 948 Taiwanese traveling with 44 tour groups were in Thailand as of yesterday, while 392 others from 17 tour groups had returned home. Several tour groups left for Thailand despite the bombing, the bureau added.
Additional reporting by Shelley Shan
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