The bombings in Bangkok have not deterred a family from their trip.
The bombings in Bangkok have not deterred a family from their trip.
Whangarei businesswoman Tania Dunn is taking her family for a holiday to Bangkok next month undeterred by news that a bomb explosion in the popular tourist destination has claimed several lives.
Mrs Dunn, husband Paul, and their daughter will fly out in three weeks for a 12-day holiday that willalso take them to Singapore. She was surprised Bangkok had been targeted in a terror attack.
A bomb exploded at a popular shrine in central Bangkok during evening rush hour on Tuesday, killing at least 19 people, injuring more than 100 and leaving body parts strewn across the streets of a neighbourhood full of five-star hotels and upmarket shopping malls. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, which caused the worst carnage of any single attack in recent memory in the Thai capital.
"I'd be very surprised if a local is behind what happened because I know, having lived there for two years, that Thai are beautiful people so it's very unusual that it's happened," Mrs Dunn said.
The Dunns own boat business Marine North in Kioreroa Rd, Whangarei. They lived in central Bangkok where Mr Dunn worked at a telecommunications company before the family returned to Whangarei eight years ago.
"We lived in Singapore during the 9/11 terror attacks, in Taiwan during Sars, and we stayed next to a hotel in Philippines that was bombed so I've seen all that before," she said.
There are 470 Kiwis registered on the SafeTravel website as being in Thailand and New Zealand Embassy spokesman has encouraged Kiwis there or about to travel there to register on SafeTravel.govt.nz Anyone with concerns about a family member in Bangkok can call the ministry on 04 439 8000.
