Anyone with concerns about a family member in Bangkok can call the ministry on +64 4 439 8000.
Kiwis in Bangkok have been contacted by the ministry telling them about the blast and of "unconfirmed local media reports" other bombs were found nearby.
"New Zealanders in Bangkok are advised to avoid travel to downtown Bangkok for the time being. We recommend exercising heightened vigilance at this time, monitoring the media for updates and adhering to the instructions of local authorities at all times, including any restrictions on movement," the ministry's advice says.
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"We recommend contacting family in New Zealand as soon as possible to let them know you are okay.
"There is currently no change to our travel advisory risk levels for Bangkok or Thailand. We continue to advise caution in most parts of Thailand, including Bangkok, due to the threat from terrorism and potential for violent civil unrest."
Is Thailand safe?
While Bangkok has been the site of occasionally violent political protests in recent years, attacks such as this are extremely rare.
The bomb exploded in the heart the city, at the Erawan Shrine, a popular attraction for both tourists and locals at the Ratchaprasong intersection in the busy Chidlom shopping district. Several major hotel chains have branches in the vicinity, including Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Renaissance and Grand Hyatt. Lumphini Park, Bangkok's only bit of green space, lies a few blocks to the south. Prawit Wongsuwon, Thailand's defence minister, said the bombers had "targeted foreigners... to damage tourism and the economy."
Frances Geoghegan, currently in Bangkok and managing director of Cleveland Collection, a tour operator that offers packages to Thailand, said extra security had already been put in place at some of the city's larger hotels.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has urged tourists in the city to avoid the area and to remain vigilant travelling through busy parts of the city and report anything suspicious to police or security officers. The Foreign Office website is currently advising Britons to monitor news reports and take extra care. It states that there is a "high threat" from terrorism in Thailand. "Bomb and grenade attacks have been indiscriminate, including in places visited by expatriates and foreign travellers," it adds.
Historically, the biggest problems have been in the far south of the country, where the Thai military has been fighting a separatist insurgency since the 1960s.
The Foreign Office advises Britons against all but essential travel to the provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla, 1,000km south of Bangkok. "Since 2004, there have been almost daily attacks in the far south of the country, including arson, bombings and shootings," it adds. "Targets have included civilians and members of the security forces, government offices, tourist hotels, discos, bars, shops, marketplaces, supermarkets, schools, transport infrastructure and trains.
"Over 5,000 people have been killed and several thousand more injured. No British nationals have been killed in these attacks, but some foreigners have been."
Previous terror attacks in other parts of the country include two bombings at night markets in Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, in 2010, and explosion in the underground car park of a shopping mall in Koh Samui earlier this year. A series of explosions in Bangkok in 2012 injured five, and the Thai authorities said they were a failed attempt by Iranian nationals to assassinate Israeli diplomats. In February 2015 two small bombs injured one person near the entrance to the Sian Paragon shopping mall, some 500 metres from the site of today's attack.
Is there any travel disruption?
Flights are continuing to operate to and from the city as usual. According to TAT, all transport links in central Bangkok are running as usual but while the intersection is investigated there may be disruption to traffic. Hotels and shopping malls in the surrounding area will be open as usual from Tuesday. All other tourist attractions and services are open and operating as usual.
Will the attack deter visitors?
"In the wake of the [February] explosions, security was tightened," said Tom Vater, Telegraph Travel's Bangkok expert. "But today's blast was far worse, both in size and impact. With at least 27 dead, according to some reports, many more injured and a scene of carnage around one of the country's most sacred places, in one of the areas most frequented by foreign visitors, it is likely that this disastrous event will have longer term consequences for Bangkok.
"Whether Thailand's teflon image as the Land of Smiles will win the day once the dust has settled remains to be seen. To some extent it will depend on whether the culprits are caught and which group they belong to. The blast may also lead to more tightened security and a bigger military presence on the streets which may in turn affect tourism."
Frances Geoghegan from Cleveland Collection added: "We have clients in Bangkok at the moment. I was near to where the explosion happened and was able to personally contact all of them and reassure them. While some were anxious, the hotels, notably the Mandarin Oriental and The Siam, were exemplary in handling what was a difficult situation. Nobody has chosen yet to alter their plans, and so far none of our clients have chosen to cancel their trips. This may change of course, with some clients perhaps choosing to cancel their Bangkok stopover."
- With Daily Telegraph
