Arab-like man seen leaving bag at Erawan shrine before bomb explosion

[Jingthing]

Looks chinese to me

In other words, like lots of Thais.

[RAZZELL]

Perhaps a link?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/09/us-thailand-uighurs-china-idUSKCN0PJ0E120150709

To be honest that CCTV is so bad he could could from anywhere.

But IMHO he looks Asian. Especially wearing those weird wraparound sunglasses. Are they yellow?

Looks like a Chinese/Japanese/Thai computer nerd.

RAZZ

Edited August 18, 2015 by RAZZELL

[Jingthing]

Sure it's so grainy that it's ambiguous but definitely not definitely Arabic.

Surely that t-shirt is now gone and likely the glasses and long hair as well.

Edited August 18, 2015 by Jingthing

[keemapoot]

Sure it's so grainy that it's ambiguous but definitely not definitely Arabic.

I agree, but note that advanced law enforcement video enhancement is pretty good at sharpening up grainy images. Not sure if Thailand has them or uses them, but I imagine they do.

Another thing that has been mentioned is the possibility of a disguise, glasses, sweatbands and all.

[Kerryd]

Experts in IEDs might be able to clear something up for me. This was a big explosion supposedly caused by a pipe bomb. Doing a quick search of Youtube for pipe bombs leads me to believe that to cause an explosion that big and create the kind of casualties, you'd need an awfully big pipe, or a heck of a lot of small ones synched together - which all adds up to something very hefty in the backpack. Take a look at the pix and the vids - while yellow shirt's backpack was large, it does not look like it's being weighed down by anything too heavy - watch as he takes it off, it seems very light.

I might be on the wrong track here, but it's still an interesting point to consider, among many interesting points.

You know how large the rear axles are on a large transport truck right ? I tried to wrap a brick of C4 around the end of one such axle right where it flares out to form the brake drum. I was thinking it would sever the brake drum from the rest of the axle. A regular block of C4 is a little over a pound (half a kilo).

We couldn't find the axle after we set off the charges (there was a group of us in different areas setting up charges on old vehicle parts, stumps, etc). We did find it eventually, when someone thought to look 40 feet up a nearby tree. (A smaller charge, properly packed, would have done the trick. A pound was substantial overkill.)

C4 packs about 1.34 times more explosive "punch" than an equivalent quantity of TNT.

Keep in mind the old adage about fireworks. Place a small firecracker on your open hand and light it. It goes pop and you get a little burn. Try it again but close your hand around it. Count how many fingers you lose (DO NOT actually try this or you will be counting missing fingers !)

A relatively small amount of explosives in the right hands can be very deadly and that information is freely available all over the net.

[Chalard]

Earlier reports commenting on (presumably) the same footage said that a woman was clearly seen placing the bag and heard to speak Thai.

Interesting... The plot thickens...

[ddavidovsky]

Looks like the Boston bomber, and isn't this the same technique? Lots of nationalities suggested, but nobody has yet suggested Turkish, so I throw it in. Weren't the Turks ranting about Thailand recently? They seemed to take that Uigur issue very personally. The Uigurs themselves wouldn't be able to do this bombing, but I wouldn't put it past the Turks, who themselves are still smarting over the recent bomb in Suruc. Targeting the shrine would also serve the purpose of anti-idolatry which the Muslims are known for. Just speculation but this is currently scoring highest on my hunchometer.

[Thai at Heart]

Arab looking suspect involved in a murderous bomb attack?!?

BIG surprise there...NOT!

Seriously, did you look at the main suspect picture/video and can you honestly say "Arabic looking" really popped into your head? I don't see it.

Looks like Ashton kucher to me

[copa8]

I think we all know from past experience that any major crime in Thailand is never perpetrated by a Thai person.....its always, always put first on "Johnny Foreigner" !!

The truth hurts. Probably pains you that the current suspect isn't Thai.

[Tony121]

Earlier reports commenting on (presumably) the same footage said that a woman was clearly seen placing the bag and heard to speak Thai.

Interesting... The plot thickens...

when my g/f was on the internet looking at the news last night, there was a report that a women had asked a security guard at the shrine if he could look after her bag he said he couldn't and 15mins later the bomb went off.

maybe its a women or tomboy ?

[Chalard]

Experts in IEDs might be able to clear something up for me. This was a big explosion supposedly caused by a pipe bomb. Doing a quick search of Youtube for pipe bombs leads me to believe that to cause an explosion that big and create the kind of casualties, you'd need an awfully big pipe, or a heck of a lot of small ones synched together - which all adds up to something very hefty in the backpack. Take a look at the pix and the vids - while yellow shirt's backpack was large, it does not look like it's being weighed down by anything too heavy - watch as he takes it off, it seems very light.

I might be on the wrong track here, but it's still an interesting point to consider, among many interesting points.

The backpack slipped off pretty easy which normally means it has a bit of weight in it.

[elgordo38]

'Arab like man' Oh Please! What does that mean?

Did he have a white dish-dash and red and white headscarf with the words 'I love IS' written on it?

or was he an olive skinned man with a stubbly beard...like a billion other men from Buenos Aires to Athens to Dubai.

After he ditches his wig rubber nose and glasses and yellow Tshirt nobody will find him. He could be on a plane home by now. Ooops sorry my mistake forget that the police have just announced on TV that they are closing in on him.The word red shirt was being bandied about on TV as well. Bravo BIB

Edited August 18, 2015 by elgordo38

[Nice Boyd]

Looks like the Boston bomber, and isn't this the same technique? Lots of nationalities suggested, but nobody has yet suggested Turkish, so I throw it in. Weren't the Turks ranting about Thailand recently? They seemed to take that Uigur issue very personally. The Uigurs themselves wouldn't be able to do this bombing, but I wouldn't put it past the Turks, who themselves are still smarting over the recent bomb in Suruc. Targeting the shrine would also serve the purpose of anti-idolatry which the Muslims are known for. Just speculation but this is currently scoring highest on my hunchometer.

I posted that on another running topic, before I saw video, Turks were upset,maybe saw many Chinese around the area before.IDK just a Hunch, I thought Ughers before anyone else's terrorist groups

[a99az]

He did not elaborate the nationality of the suspect but said the bomb attack might be a retaliation to the recent operation of the Thai government.

Is the head of the Army himself is speculating here ? He really should keep his mouth closed until the evidence has been gathered and the investigations complete, pretty sure he did the same thing with the Samui bombing as well.

Seems that when it's senior Army and police making such statements, it's acceptable, but when it's members of TVF, they're labelled "conspiracy theorists" by a certain section of the forum.

Lets hope this isn't a prelude to more attacks, nothing but a cowardly and despicable act as it was.

Did I just hear another big bang?

[Emster23]

Sim Card registration anyone ?

Seems the government unwittingly screwed up when they extended date to register to end of August, assuming he used phone to detonate...

[harrry]

He was definitely signalling someone when he held the bag up.

[balo]

Sure it's so grainy that it's ambiguous but definitely not definitely Arabic.

Surely that t-shirt is now gone and likely the glasses and long hair as well.

He could be a Turkish boy as someone already suggested , someone compared him with the Boston bomber. So this is not going to be easy. Any Asian, or any nationality really . I am afraid they will never catch him.

[rwdrwdrwd]

Arab looking suspect involved in a murderous bomb attack?!?

BIG surprise there...NOT!

Seriously, did you look at the main suspect picture/video and can you honestly say "Arabic looking" really popped into your head? I don't see it.

I think the way it works is someone says 'arabic', 'muslim' or '"religion of peace"... not!' and it acts as some kind of beacon that leads to salaciously drooling pondscum sticking their frenetically nodding heads up.

Initial reaction is that he looks western to me, but it's such bad quality that it is impossible to determine. He's tall is about as much as I can gather.

Edited August 18, 2015 by rwdrwdrwd

[bino]

Tourists take a lot of photos. The police should check the photos from those people. Maybe find a better picture from him....

Great idea in principle, but difficult to actually do.

How do you identify the tourists and locate them? It is not like they signed a guestbook with their hotel name.

Furthermore, I really doubt any of them are watching local news in Thai language that could possibly be requesting anyone with photos at the scene to come forward with them.

They would be watching CNN, BBC in their hotel or their own language news channel / internet websites.

Edited August 18, 2015 by bino

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Arab looking suspect involved in a murderous bomb attack?!?

BIG surprise there...NOT!

Seriously, did you look at the main suspect picture/video and can you honestly say "Arabic looking" really popped into your head? I don't see it.

I think the way it works is someone says 'arabic', 'muslim' or '"religion of peace"... not!' and it acts as some kind of beacon that leads to salaciously drooling pondscum sticking their frenetically nodding heads up.

Looks western to me.

I'm in the same camp. Even accounting for the possibility that the guy in the video may be disguised, he simply doesn't look Thai or Asian to me, at all.

The skin color, the style of shoes and pants he's shown wearing, other stuff -- none of it looks local to me.

Perhaps the RTP have info that they're not sharing publicly. But, their record in tracking down actual bombers isn't exactly sterling.

[Gonsalviz]

He did not elaborate the nationality of the suspect but said the bomb attack might be a retaliation to the recent operation of the Thai government.

Is the head of the Army himself is speculating here ? He really should keep his mouth closed until the evidence has been gathered and the investigations complete, pretty sure he did the same thing with the Samui bombing as well.

Seems that when it's senior Army and police making such statements, it's acceptable, but when it's members of TVF, they're labelled "conspiracy theorists" by a certain section of the forum.

Lets hope this isn't a prelude to more attacks, nothing but a cowardly and despicable act as it was.

I am fairly certain that the army and police have fair bit more information than TV members.

[nikster]

Video footage is here. IT's obviously edited but ... the guy does clearly leave his backpack there, then leaves quickly

[Skeptic7]

Arab looking suspect involved in a murderous bomb attack?!?

BIG surprise there...NOT!

Seriously, did you look at the main suspect picture/video and can you honestly say "Arabic looking" really popped into your head? I don't see it.

To clarify my post...was responding to the Headline, NOT so much the photos. Agreed...difficult to ID by these pics. HOWEVER, not at all difficult to assume "Arab looking" or Middle Eastern descent wherever and whenever terrorism occurs.

[tumama]

T-shirt is made in Indonesia:

http://www.amaranthine-fashion.com/product/read/86/tshirt-gucci-bag

[tumama]

Why would anyone wear an expensive fashionable t-shirt to a bombing. That just doesn't make any sense. Except for maybe he wants people to think he is from Indonesia. Or if it's a cheap fake. Anyone seen it sold here?

Yesterday was also Indonesia's independence day.

Edited August 18, 2015 by tumama

[darksidedog]

Oh, "A Thai couldn't have done this."

Where did I hear that before? Oh yes, now I remember. Koh Tao.

I expect two witless Burmese will be arrested in due course.

DNA on a pair of drying underpants found 3 blocks away, should solve it.

especially if one of them has a yellow shirt!

[balo]

Lots of muslims in Indonesia , could be a link but again it's still a wild goose chase.

[darksidedog]

Lots of muslims in Indonesia , could be a link but again it's still a wild goose chase.

Lots of Muslims in Thailand too. Lots of them everywhere. Don't see any evidence it was committed by one though.

[hard124get]

If you've worked/spent time in the Middle East, it's quite easy to spot the differences between Latino, and Arab looking

Jews are from the ME too aren't they? Could he have been Jewish?

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Might be misdirection but the use of yellow shirt and a grenade thrown from the Taksin bridge.

There is some symbolism in that.