Thailand emerges as terrorist haven

SUNGAI GOLOK, Thailand – The porous border along the Golok River shows why Thailand is a terrorist hideout, where fake documents and passports are big business and people don’t question strangers.

At Sungai Golok, a major border station, police scrutinize passports from Malaysia, Thailand and other nations, having sharpened their vigilance since last month’s arrest here of Hambali, Asia’s most wanted terrorist. Yet along the river, travelers can slip into the country on a boat.

“See that?” said police Capt. Arun Duangmak, pointing to a ferry on the Malaysian side of the Golok. “The boat operates around the clock and costs only 25 cents per ride. We wish the Malaysian guards were as tough with the outgoing passengers as they are with the arrivals.”

Police said Hambali was able to enter Thailand using a fake Spanish passport and make repeated trips to Cambodia and Myanmar over more than a year before being arrested. That didn’t surprise Duangmak.

“We can guarantee there will be no more mistakes through official entry channels,” he said. “But it’s another story with the river, dense forests and secluded beaches.”

After maintaining for years that Thailand and terror don’t mix, government officials are finally tightening security – at borders and throughout the country – after the Aug. 11 arrest of Hambali, an Indonesian linked to al-Qaida whose real name is Riduan Isamuddin.

Police have erected highway checkpoints. Immigration officials carry “most wanted” photos in their pockets. Intelligence operatives are probing arms smuggling rackets and unusual financial transactions. Even plastic surgeons are being alerted to the possibility that fugitives may seek their services.

Authorities are concerned about Thailand, a country of 62 million people, as a terrorist target during next month’s gathering of 21 leaders, including President Bush, at the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

Easily available forged passports are among Thailand’s many pluses, from a fugitive’s point of view. Corruption is rampant in the police and other government agencies; moves against money laundering are in their infancy.