Bangkok, May 31: Thailand's Prime Minister today said that there are people with ties to terror groups in the country and that some of them have had training in the Middle East. For months, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has repeatedly denied there was any threat of terror attacks in Thailand and has criticized western nations for issuing travel advisories, warning of possible strikes. He said two Thai Muslims arrested on terrorism charges in Cambodia last week were found to have links to Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian extremist group suspected in last year's Bali bombings. "Yes, there are these people in Thailand," he told reporters. "Some of them used to train in the Middle East, but most of them are not active and only a very few still uphold their ideology."

On Thursday, Australia issued new travel advice for Thailand which said "threats against Australians and Australian interests in Thailand are high, and we continue to receive reports that terrorist elements in the region are planning attacks."