Bomb Blast Near Bangkok's King Power Complex Soi Rang Nam

[Pui]

KingPower is a particularly nasty company. Owned by the government that sets import duties for luxury goods at an impossible 200%.

To then set-up its own company selling designer goods cheaper than any one else can legally afford to.

While I certainly do not condone any act of terrorism one can understand the resentment.

The import duties in this country are painful. I would love to not have to drive a Japanese $hit box. However government officials are the only ones permitted to flaunt these laws.

This could be seen as stance against corruption.

Thailand is not a free market democracy but when the Government go into business and get special treatment it does take the wee wee a bit.

if governments back home did this non of you would stand for it. Perhaps certain people here have had enough.

King Power is not government owned...

Not officially but ask around.

[Pui]

KingPower is a particularly nasty company. Owned by the government that sets import duties for luxury goods at an impossible 200%.

To then set-up its own company selling designer goods cheaper than any one else can legally afford to.

While I certainly do not condone any act of terrorism one can understand the resentment.

The import duties in this country are painful. I would love to not have to drive a Japanese $hit box. However government officials are the only ones permitted to flaunt these laws.

This could be seen as stance against corruption.

Thailand is not a free market democracy but when the Government go into business and get special treatment it does take the wee wee a bit.

if governments back home did this non of you would stand for it. Perhaps certain people here have had enough.

What a load of incorrect statements.

1. King Power is NOT owned by the government, it is a private company, publically listed I believe abroad, and granted a license by the AOT to run retail at their locations which was given to them by the TRT govt again at the new airport; they do not a monopoly on selling duty free/bonded warehouse but because they have complete control over the airport space, it is extremely difficult for another retailer like DFS to come into the Thai market.

Import duties on luxury goods range from 5 - 200%+, with most of what King Power sells probably in the range of 15 - 40% at a guess; watches, jewelry, ready to wear, accessories; the luxury brands HAPPILY sell to King Power just as they sell to other duty free operators worldwide.

Luxury brands are quite easily a market ANY entrepreneur can enter into provided they can secure one of the few brands not already represented in Thailand; most luxury brands CHOOSE 1 distributor excluding duty free for each country worldwide.

Government officials in theory have to pay the same amount on cars as everyone else; only Ambassadors and embassies I think get to buy vehicles completely duty free. Your statement is nonsensical in that BMWs and Benz and others are all built here and under the same regulations as the Japanese cars for local assembly; just like everywhere they cost more.

Virtually every country in the world grants monopolies or oligopolies to run duty free at the airport; they are tightly controlled. As I recall, Heathrow is perceived as one thing, but in fact in a past study had the highest prices on average of duty free worldwide, but that was complemented with some of the cheapest highlight items (mostly liquor). While duty free operators don't pay duty, they do pay a concession fee as a proportion of revenue.

Your comment that a bomb injuring an innocent security guard is somehow a stance against corruption is a viewpoint that I find abhorent; deliberately injuring someone in this manner is a cowardly childish act undertaken by someone with a sub standard IQ.

If they believed similarly to your diatribe written above, then perhaps one must question their grasp on reality, and ability to actually learn or understand facts.

I agree with most of your post, but if you think bombers/terrorists have a sub-standard IQ, then you are sadly mistaken. Many terrorists are highly intelligent. They may not care about the lives of other human beings, but that isn't a measure of IQ. We will never get to the root of the problem if you think they are just a bunch of low-IQ people. Terrorists often have genuine grievances and planting bombs is they only way that governments will listen to them. For years in the UK we were told that the IRA were just a bunch of criminals. Now we are told that what they wanted all along is the way forward and some of their supporters are in power.

Totally correct - most Sociopaths and Psychopaths have very high IQ's but there is a screw loose which is not fixable. Definition is basically no conscience, no remorse, no guilt and no shame. Interestingly the stats quoted in the US are 1:25 are secretly a sociopath/psychopath and you would not know. And there is no cure. The difference between them is one pulls the trigger! So people who use bombs to assert their views or the views of others mostly fall into this category but rest assured the poor bastard on the receiving end of the blast will make no affect whatsoever on the conscience of the bomber.

As to King Power and its monopolies at the airports, its recent airing due to cons being propagated by its staff in conjunction with Police (and others) - I would expect fingers could be pointed in many directions as to who is to blame. It's ownership is irrelevant but it is certainly not a Govt ownership as mentioned by Khun Pui.

Thanks misinterpreting everything I said.

King Power are involved with the government here. How else do they get that sort of placement at the airport.

Import duties are painful. Not only cars but everything that is considered a luxury. We scoff at the prices of imported good but imagine what its like for the locals?

I picked up Children's Fisher Prices books that are 2- 3 GBP in the UK and they're almost 15GBP here. Surely some concession could be made for educational material.

You are wrong about BMW and Mercedes a 3 liters Mercedes is actually 300% Perhaps they're concerned about emissions right? That'll be it.

The way these import laws manifest themselves in This society is people import crap Chinese goods and they are sold for the same price as brand names good back home. Then there are not allowed to return them because thats not polite. Everyone has to settle for crap.

The whole tax thing is very oppressive in Thailand and I feel that quality of life could be improved if the bar wasn't set so incredibly high. Its pay 200% or or pay 100% to the officer on the day.

There was talk recently that the government is reviewing the tax laws and really hope they do.

Yes i find it abhorrent that any one could hurt a security guard and I all I saying is that I could understand people getting angry with a company like King Power.

Anyone who believes that KingPower are not Government or at least very well connected must have by land crossing not yet made it the airport.

Edited August 27, 2010 by Pui

[Phuket Stan]

being very well connected to the government and being owned by the government are two different things...the owners of King Power are friends big time with Newin Chidbob who in turn was Thaksin's best buddy until about 18 months ago when he split his party away from Phuea Thai (Thaksin's party) and joined the democrats in the current coaliton government

[phetaroi]

KingPower is a particularly nasty company. Owned by the government that sets import duties for luxury goods at an impossible 200%.

To then set-up its own company selling designer goods cheaper than any one else can legally afford to.

While I certainly do not condone any act of terrorism one can understand the resentment.

The import duties in this country are painful. I would love to not have to drive a Japanese $hit box. However government officials are the only ones permitted to flaunt these laws.

This could be seen as stance against corruption.

Thailand is not a free market democracy but when the Government go into business and get special treatment it does take the wee wee a bit.

if governments back home did this non of you would stand for it. Perhaps certain people here have had enough.

I really don't agree with the apparent gist of your post. While you say the "right thing" in terms of not condoning acts of terrorism, you then justify the act of terrorism. And when you say if we were back home we wouldn't stand for it, I doubt very much we'd bomb the company.

[BSJ]

The M79 is a grenade launcher. It would be unusual for the actual grenade to be delivered by hand unless it has been seriously modified!

[phetaroi]

I agree with most of your post, but if you think bombers/terrorists have a sub-standard IQ, then you are sadly mistaken. Many terrorists are highly intelligent. They may not care about the lives of other human beings, but that isn't a measure of IQ. We will never get to the root of the problem if you think they are just a bunch of low-IQ people. Terrorists often have genuine grievances and planting bombs is they only way that governments will listen to them. For years in the UK we were told that the IRA were just a bunch of criminals. Now we are told that what they wanted all along is the way forward and some of their supporters are in power.

What evidence do you have that terrorists are any more or less intelligent than the average population?

I will agree with you that terrorist movements often have valid grievances, but that does not excuse murder and their other criminal activity.

[phetaroi]

Thanks misinterpreting everything I said.

King Power are involved with the government here. How else do they get that sort of placement at the airport.

Import duties are painful. Not only cars but everything that is considered a luxury. We scoff at the prices of imported good but imagine what its like for the locals?

I picked up Children's Fisher Prices books that are 2- 3 GBP in the UK and they're almost 15GBP here. Surely some concession could be made for educational material.

You are wrong about BMW and Mercedes a 3 liters Mercedes is actually 300% Perhaps they're concerned about emissions right? That'll be it.

The way these import laws manifest themselves in This society is people import crap Chinese goods and they are sold for the same price as brand names good back home. Then there are not allowed to return them because thats not polite. Everyone has to settle for crap.

The whole tax thing is very oppressive in Thailand and I feel that quality of life could be improved if the bar wasn't set so incredibly high. Its pay 200% or or pay 100% to the officer on the day.

There was talk recently that the government is reviewing the tax laws and really hope they do.

Yes i find it abhorrent that any one could hurt a security guard and I all I saying is that I could understand people getting angry with a company like King Power.

Anyone who believes that KingPower are not Government or at least very well connected must have by land crossing not yet made it the airport.

He didn't misinterpret everything that you said. You distinctly said it was government owned.

Very well connected...okay...but that's what you said.

In terms of import duties on luxury items and one specific example example -- books -- order them from overseas. Books have no duty. In terms of other stuff that is luxury, keep in mind that doesn't affect the average Thai person. And is a desk top computer a luxury item? Because if it is, I paid more for the exact same model HP computer after I returned to the States than the same model cost in Thailand the same year.

[Buchholz]

Just learnt here M79 can be thrown and exploded. Think it was a laucher, rifle like nto a grenade.

The M79 is a grenade launcher. It would be unusual for the actual grenade to be delivered by hand unless it has been seriously modified!

It wasn't thrown if anyone reads the article from the other paper. It was "fired" (as in, with a launcher) from the area near the hotel across the street.

[bedu]

So I understand King Power Pullman hotel is same company.

Can anyone tell me if they think the hotel will be a target as a friend will be staying there.

[katana]

Few pics from Thairath.

http://www.thairath.co.th/content/region/106541

[BOS2BKK]

Bomb Victim Still Fighting for Life, Explosive ID as M79

The security guard who was seriously injured by the latest bombing that took place at King Power Dutyfree in Ramnam area is still fighting for his life as doctors continue to operate on his brain to find bomb shrapnels. Police have identified the bomb as an M79 grenade which is believed to have been thrown from the vicinity of a nearby hotel.

-- Tan Network 2010-08-27

Just learnt here M79 can be thrown and exploded. Think it was a launcher, rifle like not a grenade.

Once again this is contradictory information. The M-79 designate refers to a shoulder born grenade launcher, that fires 40MM grenades of literally dozens of types and designations. M-79 is one of many launchers to fire this standard 40mm grenade. The M-67 referred to in the initial article is the current US issued Fragmentation grenade. The M-67 is hand thrown, not launched. A hand thrown grenade has a highly variable maximum range, dependent entirely on the thrower, and is fairly inaccurate. An M-67 thrown from a moving motorbike, and landing on pavement, would bounce and skitter all over the place. Imagine a steel baseball, which is essentially what it is.

The M-79 can launch a much smaller, but equally powerful 40MM grenade 200 meters, with pinpoint accuracy in well trained hands. This grenade detonates on impact, as opposed to the hand grenade which has a 3-5 second delay. I repeatedly see this strain of misinformation coming from the Nation. it is an issue because the two weapons work in such a completely different fashion as to represent a vastly different threat. A trained grenadier, with an ample supply of 40MM grenades can knock down a building, or decimate a crowd, with a great deal of accuracy from a distance, and from cover. The first indication of a problem would be the detonation. The High/low pressure mechanism devised for the 40MM grenade makes a distinctive "thwoomp" sound, but it is not very loud, and could easily be termed an essentially silent weapon in the din of Bangkok.

A person tossing a hand grenade would likely stand out, and be more easily identified because he has to get close to the target, and there would be a second or two of warning between when the grenade hit the ground, and the detonation. Also the blast from a hand grenade throws fragments with a 5/15Meter kill wound radius, but with very little blast. Simply hitting the deck in that warning second can make all the difference. The 40MM can be loaded with a fragmentation round that behaves similar to the M-67, but there are also readily available dual purpose HEAT type rounds designed for use against bunkers and vehicles that can cut through inches of concrete or steel, and transmit the blast force into the target. Again a very different threat.

[IMA_FARANG]

Someone has a good post on here about the difference between an M-79 grenade launcher and a M67 fragmentation grenade. The Thai newspapers keep getting them confused. it's one of my particular sore points when they get confused.

As the poster said an M-79 is a grenade fired from a weapon...somewhat looking like a shotgun. It can not be "thrown" like a hand grenade. A M-67 fragmentation grenade is a hand grenade designed to be thrown. It isn't "fired" (well normally anyhow) from a weapon.

The reason a M-79 grenade can't be thrown to explode is this. When the M-79 is fired from the launcher tube the firing starts the process of activating the explosive charge which explodes when it hits. The launcher tube has a 1/8 of a full turn groove in the barral of the launcher. Thus the round rotates as it leaves the tube. Internally the round has a fuse that requires between 8 and 9 rotations to activate it. (It rotates as it follows it's path) Only when these 8 or 9 revolutions are completed does the fuse activate allowing the explosive charge to explode on contact with a hard surface. That makes it almost impossible to "throw" a M-79 round by hand...as you would have to strike it first on the bottom, and then throw it so it rotated (not tumbled end over end, but rotated around it's center) 8 or 9 times to activate the explosive head on contact with a hard surface. You can litterly throw a M-79 round against a wall, and it won't explode (Although I don't recommend trying it, just in case you happen to be on an unlucky streak that day).

Now the M-67 is a fragmentation hand grenade. You just pull the pin and throw it at the target. When the delay fuse triggers the detonator, it explodes...spreading fragments of metal about in roughly a circle.

The two things are different types of things, but both intended to kill people.

[SamritT]

I heard that the bombing is non-political. It is about sport. Football to be precise.

[Buchholz]

Hopefully we can now put to rest the multiple posts written over the solitary misuse of a single word, namely "thrown" versus "fired" regarding the M-79 grenade.

Police on progress of bomb attack at King Power shopping complex

BANGKOK, 30 August 2010 (NNT) — Police have found clues and pieces of evidence in connection with the recent bombing attack in front of the King Power Complex in Soi Rang Nam.

Metropolitan Police Division 1 commander Police Major General Wichai Sangprapai said that the police had used computers to assist with the investigation into finding the firing of the M-79, as well as evidence from the closed circuit television footage.

According to Maj. Gen.Wichai , National police adviser Pol Lt-Gen Panupong Singhara na Ayutthaya will hold a meeting on the progress of the investigation later on today.

On 26 August 2010, a bomb went off at the entrance of the King Power Shopping Complex, injuring a 24-year-old security guard. Initially, police suspected that the attack was politically motivated, given the billionaire owner Vichai Raksriaksorn was a close friend of Mr. Newin Chidchop, a disenfranchised leader of the Bhumjaithai Party.

-- NNT 2010-08-30

[webfact]

Police identified the site of bomb launch

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Following the bombing at the King Power Complex, police investigator, with the help of the by 3-D scanners, have identified the site where the grenade was launched. .

According to the police, the 3-D scanners have traced the direction of the launch to the fourth floor parking lot of the Siam City Hotel. Investigation teams have been deployed to inspect the guest list of the hotel to identify potential suspects.

Metropolitan Police Chief Santan Chayanond said National police adviser Pol Lt-Gen Panupong Singhara na Ayutthaya will hold meeting to follow up on the progress of the case. The team will look at the CCTV video footages covering the points of entrances and exits on the day of the blast. The Chief added that the attack was a "carefully-planned one", as the perpetrator was said to have been monitoring the site before the shooting.

The bomb, believed to be an M67, went off at the Complex on 26 August 2010, injuring a 24-year-old security guard who is still in critical condition. Eight witnesses have been questioned so far.

-- NNT 2010-08-30

[phetaroi]

I heard that the bombing is non-political. It is about sport. Football to be precise.

Ah, well that makes it all right then?

Is bombing really that accepted in Thailand that you do it for petty disagreements?

Edited August 30, 2010 by phetaroi

[hughben]

I asked a few Thais (while in Thailand last week) who they thought were behind this attack and the previous ones. They all blamed the government.

A false flag attack I believe we call it in the west.

[Thai at Heart]

I heard that the bombing is non-political. It is about sport. Football to be precise.

So it is a "non-political football" then?

[TAWP]

I asked a few Thais (while in Thailand last week) who they thought were behind this attack and the previous ones. They all blamed the government.

A false flag attack I believe we call it in the west.

Says more about your friends than anything about this case.

[Hakuchi]

I asked a few Thais (while in Thailand last week) who they thought were behind this attack and the previous ones. They all blamed the government.

A false flag attack I believe we call it in the west.

Says more about your friends than anything about this case.

In the end perception and that what people believe is that what counts and not every time that what is actually the "truth".

And you are right, as for many comments or opinion pieces, these entries say also a lot about the people who write them.

[rubl]

I heard that the bombing is non-political. It is about sport. Football to be precise.

Thank you for sharing your profound insight with us. If I didn't have you and my eyes I wouldn't be able to see