Tourists among 19 killed by bomb at Bangkok's Erawan shrine

[webfact]

Tourists Among 19 Killed by Bomb at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine
By Khaosod English


A powerful blast left a scene of devastation Monday evening at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine, killing at least 16 people and injuring nearly 100. Several foreign tourists were among the dead.

BANGKOK — A bomb attack killed 18 people including tourists in the commercial heart of the Thai capital Monday evening.

At least 123 more were injured by the powerful blast which hit a popular landmark heavily frequented by Thais and tourists alike at 6:55 pm.

One Filipino victim and two Chinese nationals were among those killed, outgoing police chief Somyot Pumphanmuang said. Twelve died at the scene and another seven have since died in hospital, according to the latest information from authorities.

"We have not discarded any possible motive," Somyot said at a news conference at the Royal Thai Police headquarters, located meters away from the scene of the attack. Despite media reports indicating one bomb was attached to a utility pole while a second detonated from a motorcycle, Somyot denied a car bomb was involved, saying the bomb was planted on the scene.

While no one has taken credit for the attack and authorities said it's too early to speculate, Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told Reuters it was meant to harm Thailand's economy.

"The perpetrators intended to destroy the economy and tourism because the incident occurred in the heart of the tourism district," Prawit said.

CCTV footage of the attack

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1439814244&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2015-08-18

[webfact]

Rush-hour Bangkok bombing at busy shrine kills 18, hurts 117
JERRY HARMER, Associated Press
ANUSONADISAI NATTASUDA, Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — A bomb exploded Monday within a central Bangkok shrine that is among the city's most popular tourist spots, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 100 across a hectic intersection surrounded by five-star hotels and upscale shopping malls.

With a powerful flash caught on security video and a boom heard blocks away, the blast from the improvised explosive device scattered body parts across Rachaprasong intersection, spattered blood, blasted windows and burned motorbikes to the metal. It exploded during evening rush hour as the area was filled with tourists, office workers and shoppers.

"Suddenly there was a big boom, and the whole room just shook, like someone dropped a wrecking ball on top of our ceiling," said Pim Niyomwan, an English instructor working on the eighth floor of the building right next to the shrine. "The whole building just shook. My four students were hysterical."

Video shortly after the blast depicts a scene of shock and desperation: people running for their lives and crying amid the debris. An emergency worker in an ambulance, frantically pounding the chest of a victim.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.

"Those who have planted this bomb are cruel," said national police chief Somyot Poompummuang. "They aim to kill because everyone knows that at 7 p.m. the shrine is crowded with Thais and foreigners. Planting a bomb there means they want to see a lot of dead people."

At least 18 people were confirmed dead and 117 injured, according to the Narinthorn emergency medical rescue center. The dead included Chinese and a Filipino, Somyot said.

As a single, devastating blow to this Southeast Asian metropolis, Monday's bombing has no equal in recent history, though Thailand is no stranger to violent attacks. A more-than-decade-long insurgency by southern Muslim separatists has left more than 5,000 dead far from the capital. In Bangkok, politically charged riots centered on this very intersection in 2010 killed more than 90 over two months.

Police said the bomb was made with a pipe wrapped in cloth. Police said it was too soon to determine the motive.

"We still don't know for sure who did this and why," Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon told reporters. "We are not sure if it is politically motivated, but they aim to harm our economy and we will hunt them down."

The bomb detonated at Erawan Shrine, which is dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma, but is extremely popular among Thailand's Buddhists as well as Chinese tourists. Although Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, it has enormous Hindu influence on its religious practices and language.

The shrine, adjacent to a five-star hotel, is at the intersection of two major arteries in the city. Throngs of tourists come there to pray at all hours, lighting incense and offering flowers purchased from rows of stalls set up on the sidewalk along the shrine. The site is a hubbub of activity, with quiet worshippers sometimes flanked by Thai dancers hired by those seeking good fortune, while groups of tourists shuffle in and out.

Bangkok has been relatively peaceful since a military coup ousted a civilian government in May last year after several months of sometimes violent political protests against the previous government. Anusit Kunakorn, secretary of the National Security Council, said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the former army chief who orchestrated the May 2014 coup, was closely monitoring the situation.

At the same time, the military government has tightly controlled dissent, arresting hundreds of its opponents and banning protests. Tensions have risen in recent months, with the junta making clear that it may not hold elections until 2017 and wants a constitution that will allow some type of emergency rule to take the place of an elected government.

Stirring the pot has been exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup. It was his sister Yingluck Shinawatra who was ousted as prime minister last year.

Last week, Thaksin posted a message on YouTube urging his followers to reject the draft constitution because he said it was undemocratic. The draft charter is supposed to be voted on next month by a special National Reform Council. If it passes, it is supposed to go to a public referendum around January.

Another source of recent tension is the annual military promotion list, with the junta's top two leaders — Prime Minister Prayuth and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit — widely believed to be supporting different candidates. The reshuffle, which comes into effect in September, has traditionally been a source of unrest, as different cliques in the army, usually defined by their graduating class in the military academy, seek the most important posts to consolidate their power.

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok issued an emergency message for U.S. citizens, advising them to avoid the shrine's area.

In Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby expressed deep sympathy to those affected by the Bangkok explosion. He said authorities were still determining whether any Americans were among the victims.

Tourists reacted with concern.

"We didn't think anything like this could happen in Bangkok," said Holger Siegle, a German who said he and his newly wed wife had chosen Thailand because it seemed safe. "Our honeymoon and our vacation will go on, but with a very unsafe feeling."

While bombings are rare in Bangkok, they are more common where the Muslim separatist insurgency has been flaring: in the country's three Muslim-majority provinces in the deep south.

In March this year, several arrests were made in connection with a grenade that was tossed at Bangkok's Criminal Court. Those detained were apparently sympathizers of the pro-Thaksin Red Shirt movement. Critics of the current military government say some of the bombings may have been carried out by the junta to justify its continued suppression of basic rights and liberties. The government denies that.

In April, a car bomb exploded at a shopping mall on the resort island of Samui, injuring seven people. The motive was unclear, though the government suggested it was linked to politics.

The last major bombings in Bangkok occurred on New Year's Eve at the end of 2006, when a series of bombs at celebrations around town killed at least three people and wounded dozens. Those bombings occurred just three months after a military coup ousted Thaksin, and there was speculation that his supporters carried out the attacks in revenge. However, the bombings were never solved.

The 2006 coup set off a battle for power among Thaksin's supporters and opponents, sometimes in the form of violent protests. Protesters from both sides sometimes faced armed attacks by unknown groups, with more than 90 people killed in 2010 during pro-Thaksin demonstrations that were quashed by the army. The focus of the 2010 protests was the same intersection where Monday's blast took place.

Erawan Shrine itself also has been a scene of violence. In March 2006, a man who smashed the statue of the four-headed Brahma with a hammer. The man, believed to be mentally ill, was lynched by bystanders. A new Brahma statue was installed at the shrine within months.
___

Associated Press journalists Grant Peck, Charles Dharapak, Jocelyn Gecker, Michael Rubin and Penny Yi Wang contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-18

[webfact]

BOMB ATTACK
At least 16 killed, up to 100 injured by biggest attack
THE NATION


A Sene from CCTV

BANGKOK: -- A LARGE bomb rocked central Bangkok's Ratchaprasong area last night, killing at least 16 people and injuring dozens more last night.

The blast - perhaps the biggest attack in the country - was the first major violence following the May 2014 coup. It appeared to target the city's Erawan Shrine, which is popular with Chinese tourists.

National police chief Pol General Somyot Poompanmuang condemned the fatal attack, saying the suspects were very cruel and had every intention to kill innocent people.

"I want to condemn the attack and the attackers who were brutal as they attacked the Erawan Shrine at about 7pm, when it is usually packed with foreign tourists and worshippers," Somyot said.

Roads leading to Ratchaprasong Intersection would be closed until noon August 18 so police can collect evidence from the scene, he said.

At the time of the blast, Ratchaprasong and the Erawan Shrine were packed with motorists, tourists and worshippers.

The National Council for Peace and Order, which is led by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, called an urgent meeting following the blast.

Somyot said a Chinese and a Filipino national were among those killed. Earlier, unconfirmed reports claimed four foreigners were among the casualties.

Somyot said initial inquiries showed the suspects had planted an improvised explosive device under a chair close to the fence of the Erawan Shrine. It was a 3kg TNT explosive with a capacity to damage a 100-metre area.

Somyot said he had informed Prayut as well as Deputy Premier and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan of the incident, adding he was not ruling out any possible cause for the attack. The authorities have ordered police to ensure public security.

Initial reports said at least 15 were killed and 100 injured in the explosion that occurred just before 7pm. Somyot said another suspected bomb was found by a bomb squad in the same area.

The Police Hospital asked for the public to donate blood for dozens of injured victims. Most of the injured were Chinese tourists who were believed to be paying respect to the shrine when the blasts took place.

"It was a TNT bomb... the people who did it targeted foreigners and to damage tourism and the economy," Prawit said.

Witnesses believed there were two blasts, with the first bomb detonated on a motorcycle parked on the street, while a second was near the Erawan Shrine. The usually busy Ratchaprasong area was immediately sealed off.

Former deputy government spokesman MajGeneral Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Prawit was assigned by the PM to take charge of the situation. He said it was too early to pinpoint the cause.

Security sources said the incident was believed to be politically motivated, and may involve the move to strip former PM Thaksin Shinawatra of his police rank, the draft charter, the looming military reshuffle, and the spillover from unrest in the deep South.

"I was having dinner at the Hyatt Erawan when a large explosion shook the building," said Eric Seldin, an office worker told DPA. "When we were allowed outside 15 minutes later we saw several bodies covered under white sheets and damage to a nearby shrine."

TV footage showed emergency workers assisting survivors and body parts scattered on the road. A bomb crater was visible in the courtyard of the Hindu shrine.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/At-least-16-killed-up-to-100-injured-by-biggest-at-30266798.html


-- The Nation 2015-08-18

[webfact]

Govt: Security situation around Rajaprasong under control

BANGKOK, 18 August 2015 (NNT) – The government has issued a statement regarding the bomb blast in central Bangkok on Monday evening, urging the public to be vigilant as investigations are underway.

Deputy Government Spokesperson Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd hosted a special telecast to inform the Thai people of the situation at Rajaprasong intersection after the area was shaken by a powerful explosion. He revealed that after the blast, which occurred at around 7 pm Monday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has expressed condolences for those who lost their lives and promised to conduct serious probes into the case.

So far, the Deputy Spokesman said security officers have been able to keep the situation under control. All of the wounded were sent to nearby hospitals. Concerned authorities are trying to verify the identities of foreign victims and contact their families at home as soon as possible.

Maj Gen Sansern urged the public to help keep an eye out for suspicious individuals or activities and report them to security agencies immediately if found while also closely monitoring reports from government sources.

Meanwhile, Deputy Government Spokesperson Maj Gen Weerachon Sukhonthapatipak said the total number of casualties and injuries shall be confirmed once emergency services are able to provide verified information. He affirmed security officials are taking every possible measure to secure the site of bombing and conduct investigations while emergency services are in full response.

Maj Gen Weerachon deemed it too early to determine who and what motivations may have been behind the attack but insisted that authorities are following possible leads.


-- NNT 2015-08-18

[webfact]

National police chief: Bomb intended to kill



BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha is huddled in an emergency meeting with top security officers to discuss the situation following a deadly bomb blast at Ratchaprasong intersection which killed about 16 people and injured about 80.

Government deputy spokesman Maj-Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd told Thai PBS that it was suspected that elements which lost political vested interests were responsible for the bomb explosion.

He said that the elements appeared to have worked as a team in a systematic manner to create public confusion. Shortly after the explosion, false messages were posted in the social media saying that government offices and schools will be shut down tomorrow.

He said that schools and offices, both the government and the private sectors, would open tomorrow as usual.

The deputy spokesman pointed out that Ratchaprasong was a shopping district and a symbol of economic prosperity and, therefore, the choice of the site as the target of bomb explosion was a deliberate attempt to strike at the heart of the economy.

The national police chief, Pol Gen Somyot Poompunmuang, said tonight that the explosive device was made up of TNT high explosives and it was planted near the Erawan Shrine which has been popular among tourists from China and Hong Kong.

He condemned the perpetrator or perpetrators as cold-blooded murderers who intended to kill knowing that the Erawan Shrine is mostly crowded in the evening.

The Ratchaprasong intersection stretching to Pratunam on one side and to Sarasin road in the other side will remain closed to traffic tomorrow so EOD officials and forensic officers can scour the areas to look for evidences and more bombs.

It was reported that most of the dead victims and injured were foreign tourists, most of them Chinese.

Prime Minister Prayut has order his deputy, General Prawit Wongsuwan, to closely follow up the bombing incident and to report to him periodically and to try to bring the bomber or bombers and their masterminds to justice.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/national-police-chief-bomb-intended-to-kill


-- Thai PBS 2015-08-18

[slipperylobster]

Bomb was intended to kill?

Now that is what I call ..a very helpful piece of info.

[Artisi]

Bomb was intended to kill?

Now that is what I call ..a very helpful piece of info.

And highly intelligent.

[manarak]

Bomb was intended to kill?

Now that is what I call ..a very helpful piece of info.

it's not as stupid as you think.

many previous bombings motivated by Thailand's politics were carried out without the intention to kill people. grenades in an empty garden, small bombs in diverse places causing at most injuries, etc.

this bomb is fundamentally different.

would the reds want to kill people praying at a shrine ? I don't think so.

this is likely to be the work of people of another religion

Edited August 17, 2015 by manarak

[chiang mai]

Exactly, the scale and nature of it is not the style of the Reds, I'm beginning to lean towards a new external faction of some sort.

[webfact]

Bangkok bomb: Deadly blast rocks Thailand capital

LONDON: -- A bomb has exploded close to a shrine in the centre of Thailand's capital, Bangkok, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 120.

The Erawan Shrine, which was crowded at the time, is a major tourist attraction and foreigners, including Chinese, are among the casualties.

No-one has yet said they carried out the attack.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said the bombers had "targeted foreigners... to damage tourism and the economy".
"We will hunt them down," he said.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33963280


-- BBC 2015-08-18

[geriatrickid]

The police commanders are making a mess of this event with their quick conclusions and claims. They need to shut up and undertake a proper investigation first. Without a thorough investigation, it is impossible believe these clowns when they attribute responsibility or the cause of the explosion.

If it takes the police in the EU and the USA days, if not weeks to construct a credible hypothesis, how is it that so many foreigners are quick to accept whatever the unprofessional and poorly trained Thai police commanders say?

[robblok]

The police commanders are making a mess of this event with their quick conclusions and claims. They need to shut up and undertake a proper investigation first. Without a thorough investigation, it is impossible believe these clowns when they attribute responsibility or the cause of the explosion.

If it takes the police in the EU and the USA days, if not weeks to construct a credible hypothesis, how is it that so many foreigners are quick to accept whatever the unprofessional and poorly trained Thai police commanders say?

There are only 2 viable suspect groups, but the MO does not match completely for both. The red shirts however bad they are only killed people in small numbers and the separatist from the south have so far never bombed BKK and even for their doing this is an extreme case.

At this point I would not bet either way, maybe a third group but that would be totally new.

You are right in the west they are more about careful about statements, but that is just not the norm here.

[webfact]

Bangkok bomb: Attack aimed to kill foreigners - Thai minister

LONDON: -- Thailand's defence minister has said those who planted a bomb at a Bangkok shrine deliberately targeted foreigners to harm tourism and the economy.

Prawit Wongsuwan vowed to hunt down the perpetrators of the attack in the capital, which killed at least 19 people and injured more than 120.

The Erawan Shrine is a major tourist attraction and foreigners are among the casualties.

The attack has not been claimed and it is unclear who would target the site.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33969621

-- BBC 2015-08-18

[shirtless]

Muslim trouble in the south may now be targeting Thailands hot spots for bigger devastation, I have always suspected they would hit Nana as its enclosed .

[Assurancetourix]

The police commanders are making a mess of this event with their quick conclusions and claims. They need to shut up and undertake a proper investigation first. Without a thorough investigation, it is impossible believe these clowns when they attribute responsibility or the cause of the explosion.

If it takes the police in the EU and the USA days, if not weeks to construct a credible hypothesis, how is it that so many foreigners are quick to accept whatever the unprofessional and poorly trained Thai police commanders say?

There are only 2 viable suspect groups, but the MO does not match completely for both. The red shirts however bad they are only killed people in small numbers and the separatist from the south have so far never bombed BKK and even for their doing this is an extreme case.

At this point I would not bet either way, maybe a third group but that would be totally new.

You are right in the west they are more about careful about statements, but that is just not the norm here.

Surely it's a political answer ;

I can see a third suspect group which has nothing to do with the Reds or the Yellows or another religion .

And if that's was going on Sunday after noon?

[seahorse]

Bomb was intended to kill?

Now that is what I call ..a very helpful piece of info.

it's not as stupid as you think.

many previous bombings motivated by Thailand's politics were carried out without the intention to kill people. grenades in an empty garden, small bombs in diverse places causing at most injuries, etc.

this bomb is fundamentally different.

would the reds want to kill people praying at a shrine ? I don't think so.

this is likely to be the work of people of another religion

The worst damage was inside the Erawan shrine compound.

[tuanku]

I wonder if this kind of incident will support those who wish to extend a military government?

[Dibbler]

"The perpetrators intended to destroy the economy and tourism because the incident occurred in the heart of the tourism district"

So all of a sudden we have an attack on national security. Perhaps we won't be seeing elections now for a few years to come. That would be convenient for some......

[chiang mai]

Ah yes, an embryonic conspiracy theory pokes it's head out of the womb!

[slipperylobster]

Bomb was intended to kill?

Now that is what I call ..a very helpful piece of info.

it's not as stupid as you think.

many previous bombings motivated by Thailand's politics were carried out without the intentionB to kill people. grenades in an empty garden, small bombs in diverse places causing at most injuries, etc.

this bomb is fundamentally different.

would the reds want to kill people praying at a shrine ? I don't think so.

this is likely to be the work of people of another religion

I see your point, but in my opinion, a grenade, bomb, gun...used innocently is just too much.

Weapons are used for death and injury....too many things can go wrong when lobbing grenades in empty buildings or firing a weapon at an empty building.

[robblok]

"The perpetrators intended to destroy the economy and tourism because the incident occurred in the heart of the tourism district"

So all of a sudden we have an attack on national security. Perhaps we won't be seeing elections now for a few years to come. That would be convenient for some......

Sure a false flag operation on this scale or is that not what your suggesting ?

[Mango Bob]

Now these remarks are really going to help tourism. Do these people think before opening their mouths.

[Suradit69]

Ah yes, an embryonic conspiracy theory pokes it's head out of the womb!

Presumably by "womb" you mean all the old dears on Thai Visa.

[brewsterbudgen]

CNN now reporting that an unspecific warning had been recieved.

[fritzzz25]

Will we hear from officials "No Thai could do this" as we did on another horrific tragedy not so long ago on an island?

[kkup]

RIP to victims and condolences to families and friends in involved. Let's hope this doesn't happen again.

[JLCrab]

Will we hear from officials "No Thai could do this" as we did on another horrific tragedy not so long ago on an island?

Maybe this was just a diversionary tactic by the all powerful you-know-who with the trial for that island tragedy resuming today.

[umbanda]

Bombs were intended to hit the shrine, and most people close of it.....It is hard to believe that this was the work of Buddhist people....red or yellow.

Southern terrorism coming to Bangkok?

[jimstar1]

I will stay clear of NaNa for awhile oh My Pockets just sighed in relieve RIP the dead

[monty1412]

Bomb was intended to kill?

Now that is what I call ..a very helpful piece of info.

it's not as stupid as you think.

many previous bombings motivated by Thailand's politics were carried out without the intention to kill people. grenades in an empty garden, small bombs in diverse places causing at most injuries, etc.

this bomb is fundamentally different.

would the reds want to kill people praying at a shrine ? I don't think so.

this is likely to be the work of people of another religion

I agree with Manarak here, issues from the south traditionally have been targeted at security points and military establishments not within Bangkok central environs,. Red shirt activism has been more symbolic in terms of government areas and minimised kill potential.... this one is dead squarely aimed at maximum kill and location suggests there is not a care whether it is Thai or farang alike....... political activists are unlikely to see any change in political headwinds in fact this only encourages the current regime and provides justification for it ...... my fear here is we have on the loose an individual or small cell group neither politically nor religiously motivated ,who have a taste that is only sated by mass carnage and death.... Im avoiding use of P word here but certainly the choice of target and the timing of the blast is a real worry