Bangkok shrine blast: Dashcam footage captures explosion

Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan alleged that the individuals responsible “targeted foreigners … to damage tourism and the economy”, according to BBC. There also seem to be few, if any, links between Thai militants and groups like the so-called Islamic State.

The Chinese embassy in Bangkok said the dead include three Chinese nationals, 10 Thai, one Filipino person with the rest yet to be identified.

Thai police said 123 people had been injured.

One man who was conscious had visibly burned hair and a number of cuts that were bandaged, the reporter on the scene said. Media said most of the wounded were from China and Taiwan.

Vehicle bombs are nearly unknown in Bangkok, but have been used in southern Thailand, where a Muslim separatist insurgency has been flaring in several years. It is reported that body parts were scattered all over the area. Some were shredded. There were legs where heads were supposed to be.

The explosion took place at the Rajprasong intersection, the site of many contentious political demonstrations in recent years.

To the Hindu lord Brahma the Erawan is a popular shrine and is visited by thousands of Buddhist devotees every day. Authorities said at the time that the bombs were meant to destabilize the military government.

A police officer inspects mobile phones found at the scene following an explosion at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok, Thailand, August 17, 2015.

“I was having dinner at the Hyatt Erawan Hotel when a large explosion shook the building”, said Eric Seldin, an office worker.

Security video showed a powerful flash as the bomb exploded.

Police said that attack was aimed at raising tension when the city was under martial law. There was speculation that supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra carried out the attacks in revenge; however, the bombings were never resolved.

But Bangkok has seen a decade of sometimes-violent rivalry between political factions. The shrine is a popular destination for religious visitors from East Asia, and it is located at the always packed business district of Bangkok.