HAT YAI: Businessman Cheong Yuen Yee is full of anxiety.
He and eight others, including his wife and two young children, cannot go back to their hometown in Teluk Intan, Perak, until they know the condition and fate of their vehicles which were parked in the basement of the ill-fated Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel here.
"We just don't know what to do. The Thai authorities say we cannot go to our vehicles," said the 36-year-old businessman outside the hotel, popular among Malaysians and Singaporeans.
Two Malaysian guests of the hotel were killed while eight others were injured. Among the injured, four still remained at Songkhla Nagarind Hospital for bodily burns and respiratory ailment-related treatments.
The dead are Low Thian Hock, 46, from Kubang Ulu in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, and Tan Peng Chang, 39, from Kuala Kedah, Kedah.
Cheong's Proton Wira was among 24 Malaysian-registered vehicles, including four motorcycles, which are believed to have been destroyed or badly damaged in the blast.
Some 200 vehicles, mostly Thai-registered, were parked at the four-level basement parking, prior to the bombing, believed to be the work of insurgents.
Sharing Cheong's anxiety is Azihan Abdullah Zawawi.
"My Proton Saga is still down there with Cheong's and those of other Malaysians. I thought we could collect our vehicles today or even allowed to check on their condition, but the authorities have barred us from doing so," said the 32-year-old businessman from Kota Baru.
Another anxious Malaysian tourist is wheelchair-bound K.L. Tan.
Suffering from diabetes and some kidney ailments, the 42-year-old from Klang has not been taking his medicines for the past three days.
His 18-year-old daughter, who studies at Sunway College, has also been missing classes since Saturday.
"I am still okay, but I need my medicines," he said. Tan had travelled here on Friday with his daughter and Thai wife, Anphan, to shop.
All three Malaysian tourists welcomed an assurance from the Thai authorities that they would be compensated for damage to their vehicles, but there has been no official announcement on the matter.
Meanwhile, Thai authorities said vehicles on the second floor basement parking were out-of-bounds to all until investigations were completed.
At press time, some 100 motorcycles, which were parked in the basement parking had been removed from the hotel.
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