Thailand attack ‘unlikely’ to be work of terrorists

But Army chief Udomdej Sitabutr said on television Wednesday that the attack “does not match with incidents in southern Thailand (and) the type of bomb used is also not in keeping with the south”.

But apart from a rough portrait, authorities have few solid leads – they do not know the bomber’s motive, where he is from or if he is still in Thailand.

Thai police said Wednesday the prime suspect in the bombing of a Bangkok religious shrine in which 20 people died was overheard speaking a foreign language other than English.

According to Winthai, the government reached the conclusion after consulting with foreign intelligence services.

Thailand’s military leadership has declared the attack was unlikely to be the work of foreign militants and that it was not targeted at China, despite the shrine being popular with Chinese tourists.

Police said at least 10 people are suspected of involvement in the bomb attack that killed at least 20 people, more than half of them foreigners.

Police said Thursday one of the men in the video is now known to be a Chinese tourist and the other was his Thai tour guide.

The attack had occurred on Monday evening as worshippers and tourists crowded at the Erawan shrine in the Thai capital’s commercial heart, shredding bodies and incinerating motorcycles.

Mr Prawut also said that two other men seen in the grainy CCTV footage were being sought.

The man is seen carefully removing his backpack inside the shrine – at the spot the bomb went off – then getting up without it and immediately leaving.

“Police released images Tuesday showing a man, apparently young, slightly built and wearing a yellow T-shirt and dark shorts, walking into the shrine with a backpack”.

Earlier in the day, Police Chief General Somyot Poompanmuang had told local media that the suspect had not acted alone.

“We do not believe at this time that the suspect was part of a larger worldwide terrorist network”, government spokesperson Winthai Suvaree said.

The attack has raised concerns about safety in a city that draws millions of tourists.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha initially said the attack was Thailand’s problem and should be resolved internally. Buddhist monks in saffron robes joined members of the public to chant prayers.

Thai rescue workers carry an injured person after a bomb exploded outside a religious shrine in central Bangkok.

Thai authorities have identified six victims as Thai and four as Malaysians, along with four Chinese, two people from Hong Kong including one British citizen, one Indonesian and one Singaporean. “This is a very popular shrine in Thailand, in Bangkok”. Details around the two unidentified men have not been released.

Another blast that struck near a river pier in Bangkok on Tuesday was caused by a similar device, Prawut said.