Bangkok bomb: Attack 'unlikely' to be part of international network, Thai government claim
Latest comments contradict those of police spokesperson on Wednesday
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Bangkok bombing was “unlikely” to be the work of an international terror group, the Thai government claimed on Thursday.
Military spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree told reporters that a preliminary investigation into the bombing of the Hindu Erawan Shrine on Monday that killed 20 had revealed the perpetrators were not foreign.
His remarks contradict official police statements yesterday, which claimed that the suspect – identified so far only by CCTV footage and a sketch – was a “foreign” man and said that the agency had appealed to Interpol for assistance in tracking him down.
The seemingly contrary reports follow the unprecedented destruction at the Erawan Shrine on Monday in which 20 people were killed and 123 injured after a six pound pipe bomb detonated at the busy shrine at around 7pm (local time).
In a television address on Thursday the Mr Suvaree claimed that “security agencies have collaborated with intelligence agencies from a lot of countries and have come to the same preliminary conclusion that the incident is unlikely to be linked to international terrorism”.
He failed to give any further details, but did refute previously expressed fears that Chinese citizens (four of whom died) had been the focus of the attack, claiming they were not the “direct targets”.
The colonel also said that as many as 10 people were suspected of involvement in the attack.
Yesterday, a manhunt was underway for a man, wearing a yellow t-shirt and heavy-framed glasses, seen in CCTV footage apparently depositing a black rucksack at the scene before vanishing into the crowd only minutes before the explosion.
Thai authorities released a sketch of the suspect and offered a million Baht (roughly £18,000) for any information related to him. Later on Wednesday police authorities claimed that two other individuals, also seen on CCTV footage, were wanted for questioning.
Police spokesman Lieutenant General Prawut Thavornsiri had expressed confusion about the original suspect’s origin, telling reporters on Wednesday that he "looks like a foreigner" but "might have been in a disguise and wearing a fake nose" to obscure his features.
The Shrine reopened to the public yesterday, with crowds gathering to pay their respects following the attack dubbed the “worst” in Thailand’s history by its Prime Minister.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments