Bangkok-Nonthaburi Bomb - Wrong Place? Or The Right Time?

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ASK THE EDITOR

Wrong place? Or the right time?

By Tulsathit Taptim

The Nation

If the red shirts and their political rivals were to make separate movies about Tuesday's bomb blast at the Samarn Metta Mansion in Nonthaburi, it would be fascinating to find out how they depicted Samai Wongsuwan.

Was the man, who authorities said died at the epicentre of the explosion, at the wrong place at the wrong time? Or did the bomb simply explode at the right time?

Here are a few key questions, to some of which there can be only speculative answers:

Was Room 202 tenant Samai Wongsuwan among the four people killed?

Fact: The police had Samai's fingerprints thanks to an earlier criminal offence he had committed. They matched them with prints of a severed left hand retrieved from the Nonthaburi mansion. The result was positive.

Who was Samai exactly?

Fact: He was a Sing Buri resident before he moved to Chiang Mai to be with his wife. She confirmed that he was an active red-shirt supporter who gone to the capital to join Bangkok protests. She said he returned home shortly before the Rajdamnoen crackdown and told her that he had to go away for a while. He also faced an arrest warrant for a relatively minor blast in Chiang Mai. The Nonthaburi mansion's owner, who was cleared of involvement in the initial police probe, said Samai checked into the room about two weeks ago.

Was he linked with insurgents in the South?

Fact: We only know police said people "dressed like Muslims" appeared near him and a pickup truck with a Narathiwat licence plate was at the building. Speculation about his involvement with militants from the deep South more or less had to do with the blast being caused by home-made explosives. The bombs that rocked Bangkok on December 31, 2006, were of a similar type that is also popular in the South.

Could Samai have been a victim of a big set-up to frame the red shirts? After all, the explosion is a game-changing incident, both locally and internationally.

Possible answer: Red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan insisted yesterday that the blast had nothing to do with the movement. That the bomb went off in a hardcore red-shirt supporter's room in a red-dominated province weakens any "third-hand" scenario.

Is it possible that some world-class agents befriended Samai, came to stay in his room and smuggled in a huge amount of explosives and tools without his knowledge and blew the place up? Did they have him killed in the blast or before it?

Possible answer: Yes, it's possible, but not likely.

On the other hand, is the story too simple to be true? A red hardliner who fixed electronic gadgets for a living, had a history of alleged involvement in a bombing incident and was fleeing an arrest warrant has been found dead after a powerful bomb apparently went off accidentally in his room. Was he evil and is Thailand just lucky this time? Or was he just a victim or a pawn?

The condition of his body tells us that he must have been very close to the bomb when it went off. That much we can be certain about. How he ended up there will be subjected to debate by both sides of the political divide.

If it is proved beyond doubt that Samai was a bomb-maker, what will happen next to the red-shirt movement and the reconciliation efforts as a whole?

Possible answer:Jatuporn has provided us with some clues. He declared that the bomb had nothing to do with the red shirts, so any evidence that Samai was making a bomb when the explosion occurred can only be met with a response that he was just someone driven by a personal agenda or motive and was not working for the reds.

-- The Nation 2010-10-08

[TAWP]

I wonder...after [if] the revolution is successful and they build their wall of martyrs with inscribed names of all those who gave their lives...will they retroactively incorporate his and other activists names, even if they today deny any knowledge or links to them?

[asiawatcher]

There can be a heap of speculation but in real terms, bombers are bombers. This guy got what he deserved and will drag down the reds by association. These hard line terrorists and bent people exist in every society but interesting to see the possible Islamic involvement where he was probably being educated in bomb making but by his track record, he had some successes in that field already.

But if the Islamic people can take advantage of this type of nut case, and the size of the explosion would indicate this turkey was trying to up the ante from M79 pops, then who better to teach him than the nut cases hiding behind religion down South. It serves their purpose to educate idealists and if there is some collateral damage along the way - som num na.

But I think the Police and DSI should take a hard look at this occurrence as it may be an indicator of changes of tactics by the red hardliners. If they lose the election (most likely) the whole melting pot could end up bubbling over.

[ianf]

There can be a heap of speculation but in real terms, bombers are bombers. This guy got what he deserved and will drag down the reds by association. These hard line terrorists and bent people exist in every society but interesting to see the possible Islamic involvement where he was probably being educated in bomb making but by his track record, he had some successes in that field already.

But if the Islamic people can take advantage of this type of nut case, and the size of the explosion would indicate this turkey was trying to up the ante from M79 pops, then who better to teach him than the nut cases hiding behind religion down South. It serves their purpose to educate idealists and if there is some collateral damage along the way - som num na.

But I think the Police and DSI should take a hard look at this occurrence as it may be an indicator of changes of tactics by the red hardliners. If they lose the election (most likely) the whole melting pot could end up bubbling over.

After the reds were chased out of the shopping centres with their stolen Louis Vuiton handbags, do I recall that the leaders were telling all and sundry that the movement will now go underground. Were there not threats from the red leaders themselves? Just asking.

[whybother]

After the reds were chased out of the shopping centres with their stolen Louis Vuiton handbags, do I recall that the leaders were telling all and sundry that the movement will now go underground. Were there not threats from the red leaders themselves? Just asking.

Correct.

The red leaders have warned, threatened and incited violence. They can't distance themselves from this.

[timekeeper]

Jatuporn always denies everything, a lesson he earned from Thaksin

in my book as a rule of thumb, if Jatuporn denies it, its true.......

[OzMick]

" Red-shirt leader Jatuporn Promphan insisted yesterday that the blast had nothing to do with the movement."

To borrow from Mandy in another case of reds under the bed,, "Well he would, wouldn't he." Mr not-so-clever-socks needs to learn the art of plausible deniability. A simple "Nerver heard of him!" or "I have no knowledge of this man or his actions." would at least have some credibility. The statement he made sounds like that of a stupid liar, again still.

The widow's mourning period will be brief. Box A has 400 big notes, Box B has the homocidal dead-beat husband that you've seen once in 6 months, which do you choose?

[chantorn]

You have to think who will benefit most if this bomb goes off. . . . . . . The army will not only extend the SOE, but also get more budget for the deep south.

[dekbahnnok]

You have to think who will benefit most if this bomb goes off. . . . . . . The army will not only extend the SOE, but also get more budget for the deep south.

The lights are on, but no one is home...

[dighambara]

You have to think who will benefit most if this bomb goes off. . . . . . . The army will not only extend the SOE, but also get more budget for the deep south.

However, Northern and Southern dissidents have been good friends for a very long time. 45 years ago, a distant relative from the Mae Sai area went South to work with the Communists along the Malay border. That association has evolved to Islamic Terrorists befriending Northern Red Shirts...

If Thailand doesn't get serious about this situation, it will boil over. By serious, I do not mean Army marching in and killing, but I mean paying attention the the reasons for the troubel and seeking answers that everyone will live with.

[jfchandler]

So, just to be clear, what exactly are you suggesting???

That the Army or government kidnapped this guy, shipped him from the North to Bangkok, stuck him in an apartment in with a bunch of explosives and them blew him and the apartment to bits.... all to justify the extension of the State of Emergency in Bangkok, which was going to be extended anyway???

Or are you just hoping for a movie script writing deal...under the category of ridiculous and improbable???

You have to think who will benefit most if this bomb goes off. . . . . . . The army will not only extend the SOE, but also get more budget for the deep south.

[animatic]

I wonder...after [if] the revolution is successful and they build their wall of martyrs with inscribed names of all those who gave their lives...will they retroactively incorporate his and other activists names, even if they today deny any knowledge or links to them?

Mission Impossible:

If you Mr Wondsuwan or any of your cohorts,

are captured or killed the leadership will

disavow any knowledge of you or your actions.

Chockdee K. Samae.

Fits this scenario like a tight glove IMO.

[SergeiY]

I wonder...after [if] the revolution is successful and they build their wall of martyrs with inscribed names of all those who gave their lives...will they retroactively incorporate his and other activists names, even if they today deny any knowledge or links to them?

Mission Impossible:

If you Mr Wondsuwan or any of your cohorts,

are captured or killed the leadership will

disavow any knowledge of you or your actions.

Chockdee K. Samae.

Fits this scenario like a tight glove IMO.

What do you expect them to do to act proper without leaving space for some snide remarks?

[rametindallas]

You have to think who will benefit most if this bomb goes off. . . . . . . The army will not only extend the SOE, but also get more budget for the deep south.

However, Northern and Southern dissidents have been good friends for a very long time. 45 years ago, a distant relative from the Mae Sai area went South to work with the Communists along the Malay border. That association has evolved to Islamic Terrorists befriending Northern Red Shirts...

If Thailand doesn't get serious about this situation, it will boil over. By serious, I do not mean Army marching in and killing, but I mean paying attention the the reasons for the troubel and seeking answers that everyone will live with.

My theory is, the people who use bombs to advance their cause have to use bombs to advance their cause because no sane person would embrace their cause without the threat of bombs. nowutimean?

[SomTumTiger]

Reds blow themselves up one at a time - better then hurting innocents.

[tomyummer]

I don't think the Thais are smart enough to set the guy up to this degree. Takes too much planning for Thais to handle and would never be discrete enough. Easier for them to build a nuclear power plant or international airport.

Edited October 9, 2010 by tomyummer