Thailand bombing: Authorities hunt tourist town bomb culprits

Police raised the toll to at least four people killed and dozens wounded, including 11 foreigners, in a series of attacks on tourist resort towns across southern Thailand.

The kingdom was on edge after 11 small bombs exploded across 5 southern provinces on Thursday night, August 11, and Friday morning, August 12, killing 4 locals and wounding more than 30 people – including foreign tourists.

The attacks came ahead of a long weekend celebrating the Queen’s birthday, and just days after a referendum approved a new constitution giving more power to the military Government for years to come.

Thailand’s economy has slumped since the military coup in 2014, but tourism has remained one of the few bright spots with visitor numbers increasing.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said the government was doing its best “to provide security to the country”, adding: “We have to band together and stay strong”.

No one has claimed responsibility for the coordinated attack, but police have ruled out global terrorism and said the campaign was an act of “local sabotage”.

Police said earlier they were investigating all leads, but had ruled out links to worldwide militant groups.

Police Colonel Krisana Patanacharoen said it was “too early to conclude” who was behind the attacks.

Analysts say suspicion would inevitably on fall on enemies of the ruling junta beaten in the referendum or insurgents from Muslim-majority provinces in the south of the mostly Buddhist country.

The deputy police chief also said, public and holidaymakers should not panic over the situation as the security forces including the police and army have beefed up security on all public and tourist areas.

The apparently co-ordinated attacks on popular tourist resorts on Thursday night and yesterday morning came nearly a year to the day after the terrorist bombing of the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok that claimed 20 lives.

Coordinated bomb blasts hit the popular tourist town of Hua Hin, 200 kilometres south of Bangkok, killing two people late on Thursday and early on Friday.

“The Region 8 Police informed that they will have good news in one or two days about the suspect in some areas, as the authorities are still gathering evidences and once they complete it, they will issue an arrest warrant later”.

“This incident will remind all Thais that there are still people with ill intentions in the country”, he said. One Thai woman was killed and about 20 people were wounded, 11 of them foreigners.

“People, through social media, are sending messages saying Thaksin Shinawatra is behind these events”, Noppadon Pattama, a former foreign minister, said according to Reuters.

The bombs were hidden inside two potted plants and were detonated by remote control about half an hour apart, said Gen. Sithichai Srisopacharoenrath, the superintendent of police in Hua Hin.

Shortly afterwards blasts struck on Friday at Patong beach on the island of Phuket while three more were reported further south – two in the southern town of Surat Thani, killing one, and one blast in Trang, which also left one person dead. For many businesses in Hua Hin, tourism is the main source of income.

The latest troubles began Thursday afternoon, when a bomb exploded in the southern province of Trang an area full of handsome beaches and tourist islands killing one person and injuring six, according to police. And two bombs exploded outside a market in Phang Nga, damaging two vehicles but causing no casualties.

In Hua Hin, 51-year-old Italian Andrea Tazzioli said he “saw light, white light” after the second of Thursday night’s explosions, and that he immediately felt pain in his shoulder “like big fire”.