Warning to British tourists in Thailand

British tourists were warned by the Government yesterday to exercise "extreme caution" when visiting one of Thailand's most popular holiday destinations.

The island of Phuket in southern Thailand was made subject to the security warning after the Foreign Office said it had received information that the threat to Britons in the area had increased.

Diplomats issued the advice after a review of intelligence following the terrorist attack on a nightclub in Bali nearly three weeks ago which killed nearly 200 people, including 33 British nationals.

Phuket, renowned for its nightlife and sex industry, is visited by thousands of Westerners every week.

The warning, which follows similar advice by the Australian and other European governments last week, tells people to be particularly cautious in public places. A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said: "Following the terrorist attacks in Bali, in which Western tourists were deliberately targeted, the threat to British nationals in Thailand, including popular tourist areas, the island of Phuket in particular, has increased significantly.

"British nationals should exercise extreme caution in public places, in particular places of entertainment such as nightclubs, bars, restaurants and places of worship known to be frequented by foreigners."

British businesses on the island were also warned to reconsider their security arrangements. The Government is also warning against all travel to Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia and for people to exercise caution in Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Brunei and Burma.