Cambodia beefs up security after Bangkok bomb blast

Cambodia has tightened up security after a bomb exploded in Bangkok, Thailand Monday night, killing at least 20 people, National Police spokesman Lieutenant General Kirt Chantharith said Tuesday.

"I just made a verbal statement to all municipal and provincial police chiefs to beef up security and to pay attention to collecting all information related to security in order to avoid such issue," he told Xinhua via telephone.

Ang Kim Eang, president of Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, which is consisted of 230 tour and travel companies as its members, said tightening security is essential to make tourists feel safe while they are staying in Cambodia.

"I don't think the blast in Bangkok will affect tourism in Cambodia, but it is necessary to enhance security to make tourists feel safe to stay in Cambodia," he said.

A bomb exploded in downtown Bangkok Monday night, leaving at least 20 people dead and 125 others injured, according to the Thai National Police.

Cambodian foreign ministry's spokesman Chum Sounry said the ministry has advised its embassy officials in Bangkok to warn Cambodian citizens after the blast.

"We are closely monitoring the situation in Bangkok and have not yet made any statement over the bomb explosion," he told Xinhua, adding that so far, there was no report of any Cambodian among the victims.

Lieutenant General Kirt Chantharith said that police discovered an explosive device early Tuesday on the way to the Angkor world heritage site in northwestern Cambodia's Siem Reap province.

"We have CMAC (Cambodian Mine Action Center) to inspect and remove it already, it is an unused bomb, maybe, someone threw it away or accidentally dropped it," he said, adding that an investigation is underway.

"However, we can conclude that it is not an attempt to explode the bomb," he said. Endi