Bangkok bombing ‘does not match’ insurgent tactics in Thai south: army

At least 117 people, including about 15 Chinese citizens, were injured in the blast that happened at about 7 p.m. local time near Erawan Shrine at Ratchaprasong intersection, a popular destination for domestic and foreign tourists. “We have suspects. There are not many people”.

“It was a pipe bomb“, the national police chief, Somyot Poompanmuang, said, adding that the toll could climb to nearer 30.

“He expresses his condolences to the bereaved families and to the people and government of Thailand”, the statement said. The bomb was apparently placed near the grill inside the shrine compound.

It is close to some of Bangkok’s most popular upscale shopping malls and was packed with worshippers and tourists at the time of the attack.

The Bangkok Post quoted police as saying that 3kg of TNT had been stuffed in a pipe inside the shrine and that an electronic circuit suspected to have been used in the attack was found 30 metres from the scene.

The first bomb – a 3-kilogram “improvised device” – was the only one, police said.

An unconfirmed report from a police source stated there might be two more unexploded bombs, indicating that those responsible wanted to cause major damage.

While bombings are rare in Bangkok, they are more common in southern Thailand, where a Muslim separatist insurgency has been flaring for several years.

Asked whether the bombs would impact tourism she said: “This is a big concern for us”. Other footage purportedly showed the moment of the blast.

By late Monday evening the normally thronging skywalk connecting those shopping centres was virtually abandoned while the streets below filled with police officers and soldiers manning checkpoints.

“The Thai capital has been fairly peaceful since the military deposed a democratically elected government in May 2014, after months of sometimes violent protest against that government”. The capital has been relatively calm since then.

Self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is Yingluck’s brother and who was toppled by a 2006 coup, sits at the heart of the political divide.

Dozens were killed here when the military crushed the rebellion and the Central World mall across the road was set-alight.

The ministry had updated its travel advice for Thailand since the attack.

“The New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok continues to seek information on the nationalities of victims and casualties from the explosion at the Erawan Shrine in Central Bangkok, and is liaising with local authorities”.

It was still advising caution in most parts of Thailand, including Bangkok, due to the threat of terrorism and potential for violent civil unrest.

Deputy government spokesperson Major-Gen Weerachon Sukhonthapatipak said Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha had already been informed of the bomb explosion and he had instructed the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team to go to the area.