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Worldental Daily Bangkok 2015 Advance Issue

2 www.fdiworldental.org Business Advance Issue O n17August,apipebombex- ploded at the Ratchapra- song intersection in central Bangkok close to the Erawan Shrine, killing at least 20 people andleavingmorethan120injured. InviewoftheupcomingFDIAnnual World Dental Congress, which will be held in the Thai capital from 22 to 25 September, the FDI World Dental Federation has reacted im- mediately and sent a team to the Thai capital in order to assess the situation. “Wearehappytoannouncethat the Thai government has taken swift and effective action and the situation has returned to normal,” the federation stated. The Dental Association of Thailand, the local partner of this year’s FDI AWDC, commented on the bombings as well: “Following recent events in Bangkok, the Dental Association of Thailand has been in contact with the Government of Thailand. We have received assurances that spe- cial security measures are now in placeandwillremainsothroughout the period leading up to the FDI An- nualWorldDentalCongressandbe- yond.” “For the Dental Association of Thailand, the security and comfort of congress participants are an ab- solute priority. We are convinced that the measures now in place will ensure that your stay in Bangkok will be both safe and enjoyable,” the organisation added. TheErawanShrine,dedicatedto the Hindu god Brahm, is a popular destinationforbothtouristsandlo- cals. Close to the intersection where the bomb detonated are top hotels, shopping malls and offices. Thus, several tourists were among the victims, mostly from South and EastAsia,althoughnotallofthevic- tims have been identified yet. The bombing was one of the worst attacks in the Thai capital in years. Authorities are still search- ing for a suspect identified as the potential bomber through surveil- lance footage and to date, it is still unclear who might be responsible foritandwhatthepossiblemotives are, according to the Thai Ministry ofForeignAffairs.However,Thaiau- thorities currently believe that the goaloftheattackwastoaffectThai- land’s tourism industry, as Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told Reuters.The news agency reported that authorities have stepped up security checks at some major city intersections and in tourist areas. Following the attack, the Bangkok police reported a further small explosion. A bomb was thrown into the Chao Phraya river beneath the Taksin bridge, under whichpassengerferriespass.How- ever, nobody was hurt. The police suspect that the two attacks might be linked. Currently, they are looking for a young man wearing a yellow shirt whowascapturedonasurveillance cameraleavinghisbackpackinside the fence of the Erawan Shrine.The explosion occurred minutes after the man left the shrine, making him the police’s prime suspect. Two days after the bombing, the ErawanShrinewasreopenedtovis- itors, as the surroundings and the shrine itself have already been largely restored. Several foreign offices, includ- ingintheUKandGermany,haveup- dated their safety information for travellers going to Thailand. They urge visitors to take extra care and monitor travel alerts and news re- ports.Accordingtothem,furtherat- tacks—especially in tourist re- gions—cannot be ruled out. In partnership with:Organized by: THANK FOR YOUR SUPPORT! worldoralhealthday.org WOHD 2015112 COUNTRIES · 5 CONTINENTS · 1 DAY AD SituationinBangkoksecuredespiteattacks,FDIandTDAsay © StudioZ/Shutterstock.com

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