It is premature to jump to any conclusions as to the identity of the perpetrators of this heinous crime against innocent civilians, including foreign tourists. However, it is safe to assume that these terrorists, who had no qualms with killing and maiming men, women and children in cold blood, wanted not only to destabilise the political scene, wreak havoc on the economy and damage social harmony. They also wanted to strike fear in the hearts of common citizens in order to disrupt their normal lives and wear down their will to oppose their devious designs.

It is stupid and irresponsible for anyone to put forward wild speculation as to who was responsible for such dastardly acts until the authorities have concluded their investigation. Members of the public who have any useful information that could lead to the arrest of these evildoers are encouraged to come forward with any assistance they can provide. But make no mistake that the Surayud government, along with the Council for National Security and the country's security apparatus, must do their utmost to bring these terrorists to justice - or risk completely losing their credibility, and even legitimacy to rule.

This newspaper has always been an advocate of strong actions against terrorism in all of its ugly form, regardless of its justifications. We have repeatedly urged governments to err on the side of being too cautious in anti-terror operations - but it's often been a plea that has fallen on deaf ears. It gives us no pleasure to report that the changeover from the Thaksin regime to the interim government of General Surayud Chulanont did not alter the old mindset. It appears that nothing could ever convince the government to put up even the most rudimentary defence against possible terrorist attacks, such as putting armed security personnel on foot patrols in public places or setting up surveillance cameras in Bangkok and other major cities.

Granted that even with the most prominent security measures in place, not all attacks are preventable. Nonetheless, such visible signs of preparedness would make it that much more difficult for terrorists to mount their attacks and would also serve as a constant reminder to the public of the clear and present danger.

We now know that Bangkok is not an exception, that there are no rules when it comes to the workings of terrorists' twisted minds and their vicious modes of operation. Second-guessing their intentions and thwarting their imminent strikes could prove incredibly difficult, however government officials must do their best in terms of intelligence gathering. Sadly, our security services failed in this regard and continue to do so today. They failed because they became engaged in mindless turf wars instead of working together for the sake of the nation.

Nevertheless, there can be no let-up in the war against terrorism. The terrorists have shown that they have the ability to strike where it hurts most. From here on, the threat of terrorism will be included in any calculation of the cost of transacting business on this side of the world, both in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia.

It must be made clear that there is no substitute for decisive action backed by good intelligence to weed out known terrorists. The aim should be to pre-empt any campaigns of terror if possible. In order to avoid a panic, the public must be educated about the dangers of terrorism and how individuals can contribute to public safety and we, as a society, must remain vigilant in the sustained struggle until terrorists are utterly defeated. The government must realise that combating terrorism is neither easy nor simple, but failure to mount an effective defence against it right now - which the country so desperately needs to do - is no less than criminal neglect.