Two Bangkok bombing suspects cleared

Police are now searching for a “foreign” man who was seen on CCTV footage leaving his backpack behind at the site of the explosion just minutes before it occurred.

“It’s a network”, national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung told the same news conference, adding, “I believe there are some Thais involved”.

The warrant, issued by Bangkok’s Southern Criminal Court, accuses an “unnamed foreigner” of conspiracy to commit “premeditated murder” among other charges, linked to the bomb that killed 22 people on Monday.

The two possible accomplices are seen standing in front of the man, said police spokesman Lt. Gen. Prawut Thavornsiri.

Local authorities have appealed for anyone with information surrounding the alleged bomber to come forward, offering a reward of one million Baht (the national currency) – equivalent to roughly £18,000.

The Brahma temple was reopened yesterday for worshippers and tourists two days after the blasts.

“It feels so weird to know that so many people have died here and so many have been injured and still laying, trying to fight for their lives”, Danish tourist Maja Brash said.

Thailand has experienced a near-decade-long political crisis that has seen endless rounds of street violence, but nothing on Monday’s scale nor targeted at foreigners.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Reuters says the police described the suspect as being fair-skinned – he could be from the Middle East or Europe – and that he had dark hair, black glasses and a beard.

A video posted separately on Thai media, showed the same man sitting on a bench at the shrine, taking off the backpack and leaving it behind as he stood up to fiddle with his phone and then walked away.

Bangkok was rattled by another blast Tuesday at the popular Sathorn Pier, used by river ferries.

Nearly a week on since the deadly Bangkok bomb attack, Thailand’s police say investigators need some luck to catch those behind it, and they may have already left the country.

Various Islamic militant groups have carried out many attacks in other parts of Southeast Asia, including on Indonesia’s holiday island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people.

Another possibility is that a previously unknown group was behind the attack.

Meanwhile Thailand has asked Interpol for help in tracking down the man they believe planted the bomb that killed 20 people, sending the global police organisation an image of the suspected bomber.

Dr Panitan Wattanayagorn, an adviser to Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security Prawit Wongsuwan, told TODAY the authorities were moving ahead with the investigations into Monday’s deadly bomb blast.

Monks in orange robes chanted and prayed for departed souls Wednesday at the shrine, which bore the scars of the powerful blast.