To: TobagoJack who wrote (28029 ) 1/28/2003 3:37:14 AM From: elmatador Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 74559 Surprise razing of Thai nightspot will affect tourism: ministerasia.news.yahoo.com <<<A block away from my office there is this bight spot which I once in a while stop to drink a Heineken after work. The place was raised down overnight and now I must go accross the Sukhumvit street to Victoria Bar for my beer.>> BANGKOK, Jan 28 (AFP) - The surprise razing this week of dozens of shops and bars in a Bangkok nightspot by a gang of thugs would tarnish Thailand's image as a safe destination, the tourism minister warned. The pre-dawn Sunday demolition, slammed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for its "mafia"-style tactics, would require decisive action by the government to demonstrate its tough position, tourism and sports minister Sonthaya Khunploem told reporters. "The incident will clearly affect our image because we have been campaigning that Thailand was a safe place," Sonthaya said. "The government must decisively implement the law to show that we are serious about such incidents," he added. Some 139 men, including 15 military personnel, have been arrested by police over the incident. Around 200 men using heavy equipment and cranes destroyed 60 bars and shops in Sukhumvit Square, a makeshift nightmarket along bustling Sukhumvit Road in an area popular with tourists. The land on which the tourist spot is located is at the centre of a legal battle, Thaksin and police have said. The premier reiterated his vow Tuesday to track down and prosecute the culprits, including the military personnel. "No one is above the law. I have instructed police to straightforwardly prosecuted this case. There will be no lobbying in this case," he told reporters. Angry and upset bar and shop owners had swarmed over the wreckage of the area on Monday seeking to salvage their belongings, which they were not given time to collect before the stalls came crashing down.