The British government has warned of a high terror risk in Thailand and has urged its citizens to exercise extreme caution, following the arrest of a Lebanese man over fears of a possible attack.
On Friday morning Thai authorities said they had detained a man with suspected links to the Hezbollah militant group after being warned by the United States.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said one of those men was now in custody in Bangkok. "I want to assure people that there is nothing to worry about. The police will take care of the situation and everything will be under control," he told the AFP news agency.
"Foreign terrorists may be currently looking to conduct attacks against tourist areas in Bangkok in the near future," the US embassy in Bangkok said in an emergency message posted on its website.
"US citizens are urged to exercise caution when visiting public areas where large groups of Western tourists gather in Bangkok."
A senior Thai intelligence officer also told AFP that the kingdom had been informed before the New Year by Israel of a possible threat.