Powerful bomb explode near Rajprasong intersection wounding 20 people

[rhythmworx]

Please kids dont discuss your petty differences here.

This is a news thread. I came here to read news not scroll through endless babble about apples and oranges.

Is no one moderating this thread?

I've seen people banned for less.

RIP to the dead.

[Lite Beer]

RT@DrRungC: From Pratunam to Sarasin intersection and Chalermpao to Pleonchit intersection will be closed until noon,Aug18 to investigate #BangkokBlast

[Essex Grampa]

BBC says FO advice is to "Monitor media and take extra care."

[rubl]

i'm reposting my last comment from my Forum Blog (as my forum thread was closed adn redirected to here)

I live very close to there.. (a few minutes walk)

its really buzzing with sirens.

and yes,, i felt the blast sound (vibrations of it) through my body in my condo.

tonnes of emergency services now I can see...

but really.. I must say how pathetically SLOW they were to arrive. (especially as its a couple of minutes drive away).

at least Emergency Bikes should have been the first ones to the scene... (but I heard NOTHING until at least 15 minutes after the blast).

that in itself is a story.. the shocking response time!

it has taken more than 40 minutes (since the blast) to free-up a lane of traffic so that emergency services vehicles can hurry to and from the blast site.

Would you rush in knowing that very often there are additional bombs set off with delays timed just right to kill the rescue personal?

Even 15 minutes is pretty risky.

Rescue vehicles in Thailand are a bad joke.

People are not required to pull over and let an ambulance pass...they crawl through traffic like everyone else...why even have sirens on and lights flashing???

A bit before eight this evening I saw a good dozen police cars and ambulances speed passed along RamaIV turning into Rachathewi. Somehow even in the rush hour traffic had managed to move aside enough to free sufficient space. Don't know if side mirrors were hurt in the process.

[DogNo1]

Tropo: The picture you posted is of the smaller shrine down the street a little bit towards Amarin. The Erawan Shrine is (was?) right on the corner where the Grand Hyatt - Erawan is located across the street from Gaysorn Plaza. What irony! I just paid the deposit on my hotel room at Grande Centre Point Ratchadamri for the winter season starting in November. A lot of Chinese stay at the hotel and will now probably be fearful to come. I'll be following the situation closely.

[jesimps]

Hopefully the army (not the hopeless police) will catch the perpetrators soon, whether they be muslims or Thaksin's red shirts or other thugs with an axe to grind.

Here we go again "Muslims or Thaksin's redshirts". Why not just say that we all hope they catch the perpetrators soon, whoever they might be. A lot of us on here have a leaning to one side of the political spectrum or the other, but this isn't the time to be trying to score political points. Have some sympathy for the victims for goodness sake you heartless goits.

[mike324]

I somehow doubt that this was a red- or yellow-shirt outrage - it seems both too serious and too random.

Similarly the southern insurgency has never bombed Bangkok (or anywhere much north of Songkhla and Hat Yai), and they tend to target Thai government officials, civil servants, teachers etc., not random crowds.

I have thought for some time that Bangkok might provide a target for some ISIS or Al-Qaeda "lone wolf" attack - it's a Buddhist-Hindu shrine in a city of sin and unbelievers, at least viewed from a Salafi Jihadi perspective. And these people do go for indiscriminate and generally multiple bombings.

Time will tell, but I don't think we should be too quick to attribute blame to anti-coup activists or southern insurgents.

I don't think its too serious or random to be a political thing. We've seen what happened when the two divides clash, lives are no importance for politicians.

I think Pro-PTP will say the bombing happened so the Army can continue to control the country.

Anti-PTP will say the bombing happened to scare away the tourist and make the country suffer, hence making the Army look bad as tourism is the only thing keeping the country afloat. The shrine is pretty much a top destination for tourists from Chinese speaking countries or Buddhist devotees. China happens to be the top tourist population right now, driving them away will mean a big chunk of tourist money gone, crippling the tourist sector.

I do agree with your point regarding to muslim terrorist, surprise Bangkok has been relative peaceful in that terms. Perhaps its because the US intel has been relative good at preventing such an attack.

It is scary event, I walk there on a monthly basis and go there with visiting family members. RIP to those who were effected, only cowards commit acts like this.

[anon467367354]

URGENT: Bomb advisory Bangkok

Fabulous 103 FM

http://pattaya103.com/bomb-explosion-in-bangkok/

"All indications are that this is NOT a politically driven attack. The carefully chosen location suggests insurgents with motives other than politics."

That doesn't make any sense. How could politics not be involved in the motivation?

It's sure political motivated,many chinese died,so they will stop coming and then Thailand will run into more problems

where are you getting your information to make such a statement?

[Lite Beer]

RT@veen_NT: All BMA school will be closed tomorrow via @pr_bangkok https://t.co/Gx9xyKeqI

RT@W7VOA: Authorities say all schools in Bangkok to be closed tomorrow due to “safety concerns.

[phil2]

link showing when the bomb went off

https://twitter.com/khunnPLOY/status/633258116423905280/video/1

At time index 18:56:00 there is a piece of motorcycle (I think) that falls in the middle of the street to the left of the green sign in the middle of the video.

Very correct.

[lostinisaan]

Director of National Blood Donation Center at Thai Red Cross tells Matichon there is "no call for blood donation."

From another source:

The blood crisis has forced some hospitals to postpone surgeries, pending sufficient blood supplies.

[Seann]

2016 is too soon for elections.

[bartender100]

The farang in the black shirt walking towards the blast had a very lucky escape

[Lite Beer]

RT@BritishRedCross: The @ThaiRedCross is urgently appealing for local blood donations following today's bomb attack in #Bangkok http://t.co/PrIaBxA5PJ

[Happy Grumpy]

It's going to be a bit nervy driving around BKK over the next few morning/evening rush hours.

[Dumbastheycome]

Whoever is behind this and regardless of what politica fence they squat their ars.. is/are gutless cowards by targetting innocent public.

If you have an enemy then face that enemy! And if you consider the general public to be your enemy....? you have no right to live!

[CockneyGit]

Channel 3 wouldn't even stop broadcasting it's trashy soaps while all this going on. Deplorable!

[spacemand]

27 dead and reports of a second bomb.... Gets sadder and sadder.

We can only hope that it isn't the insurgents from down south starting a campaign in the capital.

As someone mentioned before in this thread, if they take it to Phuket, Bangkok and Pattaya then things will be really bad for Thailand and the tourism industry, I am surprised it haven't happened I guess they fear the repercussions which are going to seem like a civil war.

[dezy1801]

RT@RichardBarrow: 10pm Police chief confirms that it was not a motorcycle bomb and that the bomb was hidden with intent to kill and maim [foreign tourists]

Looks like from the picture with the rails blasted outwards from the Shrine, there is where benches are and probably been placed under there. This is terrible and I hope whoever is responsible is brought to justice.

[Nemesis7]

Terrible news in deed.

[Misterwhisper]

Could anyone who has been there confirm if this is Erawin Shrine?

Erawin Shrine.png

No this is not Erawan Shrine.

I agree with dezy1801. Several other posters have falsely claimed that this image showed Erawan Shrine. IT DOES NOT! This is the shrine on the corner of the large square in front of Central World.

The Erawan Shrine is actually located diagonally opposite on the other side of the intersection.

[rijb]

Thaksin and his red shirts at their most evil and targeting tourists, this time.

This is a GAME CHANGER.

This is not a game. And certainly not a guessing game.

[Lite Beer]

RT@RichardBarrow: 10:17pm No-one has claimed responsibility for bomb explosion in #Bangkok & doubtful if anyone will. Bomb hit heart of tourist district

[BeefSlapper]

10pm Police chief confirms that it was not a motorcycle bomb and that the bomb was hidden with intent to kill and maim [foreign tourists]

[bartender100]

Could anyone who has been there confirm if this is Erawin Shrine?

Erawin Shrine.png

No this is not Erawan Shrine.

I agree with dezy1801. Several other posters have falsely claimed that this image showed Erawan Shrine. IT DOES NOT! This is the shrine on the corner of the large square in front of Central World.

The Erawan Shrine is actually located diagonally opposite on the other side of the intersection.

Thats the Erawan in the background

[Dogmatix]

A block away from National Police HQ where anyone can walk in with brief case with no search and no one asking who you are or what is your business. High security indeed.

[SoiBiker]

Could anyone who has been there confirm if this is Erawin Shrine?

Erawin Shrine.png

No this is not Erawan Shrine.

I agree with dezy1801. Several other posters have falsely claimed that this image showed Erawan Shrine. IT DOES NOT! This is the shrine on the corner of the large square in front of Central World.

The Erawan Shrine is actually located diagonally opposite on the other side of the intersection.

Nope. It's not that one either.

[Lite Beer]

RT@vaitor: Bangkok closes all 438 schools tomorrow, no official statement yet regarding state of emergency/marshall law

[Maybole]

The latest from BBC World News @ 1520 GMT:- 16 killed and 81 injured . Many are tourists, nationality not stated.

Correspondent from Washington Post in interview was quick to suggest Taksin followers MAY be responsible.

Now reported, it was a bomb placed under a bench and two more unexploded are being dealt with.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The BKK Post is still reporting as of their 10 pm update that there were two other explosive devices that were found, unexploded, attached to BTS line supports and defused in the area of the main blast.

If that's true, then obviously, those behind this attack really were out to cause maximum casualties. There's the familiar Mid East technique of having an initial blast that draws first responders and crowds, followed by subsequent blasts aimed at taking out those gathered as well.

The BKK Post report also points out that the past bombings outside Siam Paragon and Central Festival Koh Samui remain unsolved. I thought the police identified a bunch of suspects in both bombings, but I can't recall that anyone's ever been actually charged in those cases??