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

[chubby]

why is there like 6 CCTV cameras around that shrine anyway ? is there going to be a lot of crime inside a shrine?

[bander]

"Arab looking" is a bit too vague for us to work on.

But it's definitely The Religion Of Peace at work again. Such pleasant chaps.

Agree, if we here on TV is going to solve this case for the thai police we need more facts.

[gk10002000]

Sim Card registration anyone ? is poss

i wouldn't be surprised if SIM card registration gets more strongly enforced. However, it doesn't do much. People can and do bring thousands if not millions of phones from around the world. Sure with a lot work it is possible to maybe list when any calls were placed near a certain time, but that won't prove much.

[LomSak27]

^{Agree, if we here on TV is going to solve this case for the thai police we need more facts.}

[gk10002000]

I'm a caucasisn American with southern European roots on my father's side. Thais have often said that I look like a "kaek," so I don't put much stock in this description yet. Early leads in an investigation like this are notoriously unreliable. Or, maybe it was the work of Basque separatists-- speculation leads to absurdity.

i am caucasian american. all grandparents came from greece. Some thais thought a little bit "allah people", but most guess Roma, for italy. That's fine. Most don't really know what Greece is, and between my New England accent and the "R", they don't pronounce greek or greece very well.

[DrTuner]

Heard an interesting theory: retaliation for the treatment of Uyghurs. Pieces might fit.

[bamnutsak]

but said the bomb attack might be a retaliation to the recent operation of the Thai government.

Does anyone have any ideas what this "recent operation" might be?

Something in the south?

Increased exports of Uyghurs to China?

[JakeSully]

Just how does a foreigner get access to bomb making materials? It's hard enough to buy a gun to protect your property.

I have a strong feeling this is a rumor of the moment.. the bomber will be someone who has access to this stuff.. sorta like that grenade thrown on live tv by someone who was thai but never found.

[DavisH]

Come on the TV barstool forensics team. Let's get that rumour mill grinding. IS? Alaqeda? Someone from the south? Maybe the old scapegoat Mr T and the red shirts paid for an Arab looking cut out so suspicion would not lead back to them?

The media starts the rumors though...from 'arab looking' to retaliation for 'government reshuffles/politics'. So I'm not surprised really.

[NickJ]

If I had to guestimate. It has to do with the South. I have wondered for years when something like this would happen. I also doubt Mr T is involved........ I also think that if this is pinned on the Southern problem, things will get a lot worse down there and we wont be hearing much about it.

[Sunderland]

Unless the police know where the suspect is right now, surely they should release his photo on TV to help people track him down before he has the opportunity to do it again. If indeed it is the person they seem to think it is. Seems extremely amateurish to make such announcements without using the media to find the suspect.

[bamnutsak]

Just how does a foreigner get access to bomb making materials?

The 2012 Iran Bangkok bombers had essentially an explosives factory in their house, and no problems importing materiel. Police seized quite a large cache of supplies.

[starky]

This is a discussion forum. What would you expect the content to be?

I've come here for news, opinion and convincing hypothesis. I skip the posts from loonies... normally.

Me I'm more sympathetic to the victims of this horrible tragedy but perhaps you missed my sarcasm.

Starky

"sarcasm" on your part is totally outrageous in the light of this tragedy............how anyone can make "fun" of what has happened is beyond belief-go crawl back under the stone you appeared from

RIP to the victims

Not that I was making any sort of joke but alluding to the fact that there will be much speculation before many true facts are known. I hope you take the time to individually chastise the people who have been making jokes about this incident and treat them with as much I'll will.

[Jip99]

'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.

Starts to rule out Thais and the conspiracy theory, you so like, about it all being arranged by Prayuth!

[Nick167]

If the muslims or Islam related organisations wanted to do this, they would have done it on Sunday, while the bike for mum programme was taking place and the Rajprasong area was not so guarded but then whoever did this respected the Royal event and instead did it in Monday.....so it must be a thai who did this.....from one of the politically motivated groups. By the way, strange that all this trouble is starting again after someone came out from monkhood! Makes one wonder. Just my thoughts, I can be wrong about it all. But most of all my condolneces to the victims and their families. Its really tragic that froeigners are the victims of these thai politics. Most of the thai victims were the local mafia that were operating garland and souvenir stands in front of the shrine and charging exorbitant rates to foreigners.

[DLock]

I certainly hope they have images and can find this suspect...

But we have been here before...and we still haven't captured "The Dragon" and the "Gimp", despite promises...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/797444-siam-paragon-bombs-warrants-expected-today/

...and so far they are batting zero.

[Seastallion]

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

As I'm sure the chief of police has done.

[thai006]

on french news they say about black shirt who do that

[Seastallion]

If I had to guestimate. It has to do with the South. I have wondered for years when something like this would happen. I also doubt Mr T is involved........ I also think that if this is pinned on the Southern problem, things will get a lot worse down there and we wont be hearing much about it.

I think you're right in your last sentence, but wrong in your first. It's not their MO, and anyway, their fight is where they are, South.

[Bakseeda]

'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.

I think the fact that he was seen riding off on a camel. That was the giveaway....!

[HLover]

and so the profiling begins!

They never ended and will continue long after this sick event has been forgotten.

[vogie]

"Arab looking" is a bit too vague for us to work on.

But it's definitely The Religion Of Peace at work again. Such pleasant chaps.

Agree, if we here on TV is going to solve this case for the thai police we need more facts.

Why, Its never stopped you before.

[webfact]

Bangkok bomb: Thailand says identity of shrine attackers 'much clearer'
Defence minister says police have suspects for bombing that killed 22, after army chief says attack did not bear hallmarks of southern separatists
Oliver Holmes and agencies in Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- Thailand is close to determining who detonated a bomb at a popular shrine in Bangkok that killed 22 people and injured 123, the country’s defence minister has said.

“It is much clearer who the bombers are, but I can’t reveal right now,” Prawit Wongsuwan said on Tuesday. “We have suspects. There are not many people.”

The government has blamed the attack, which ripped through a bustling part of the city at 7pm on Monday night, on forces seeking to destroy its tourist economy.

Much of the violence in the southeast Asian nation stems from a low-level insurgency waged by Muslim separatists in the south, but the country’s army chief said on Tuesday that the attack does not bear the hallmarks of the rebels.

“This does not match with incidents in southern Thailand. The type of bomb used is also not in keeping with the south,” Royal Thai Army chief and deputy defence minister General Udomdej Sitabutr said in a televised interview.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Hindu Erawan shrine, a major attraction for visitors from Asia and for Thai people. Dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma, it is also popular among Thailand’s Buddhist and Chinese tourists.

Full story: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/18/bangkok-bomb-not-in-keeping-with-insurgent-attacks-says-army-chief

-- The Guardian 2015-08-18

[loongmal]

'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.

Duhhhh I guess your one of those left wing nutterS that cant see what is in front of your eyes THIS HAS EVERY MARKING OF A ISLAMIC ATROCITY

[huahinjoe]

saw here some of the images about the suspect:

https://www.facebook.com/stickboybangkok/photos/pcb.585928534878237/585928411544916/?type=1&theater

[Zolt]

Image of the suspect released by police. Hard to tell ethnicity - could be anything from these, but that shirt is quite distinctive.

[HOAX]

I'm a caucasisn American with southern European roots on my father's side. Thais have often said that I look like a "kaek," so I don't put much stock in this description yet. Early leads in an investigation like this are notoriously unreliable. Or, maybe it was the work of Basque separatists-- speculation leads to absurdity.

i am caucasian american. all grandparents came from greece. Some thais thought a little bit "allah people", but most guess Roma, for italy. That's fine. Most don't really know what Greece is, and between my New England accent and the "R", they don't pronounce greek or greece very well.

I actually find Thais geographic knowledge surprisingly good, or at leased when it comes to European countries. I rarely hear Thais don`t know where this or that European country is, and often respond with "my -family-member- has a farrang from -a-neighbor-country-". The kids in school have fairly good geographic education. When it comes to Greece, they know. They saw the political unrest on the news and they`ve heard about the financial crisis. Many even knows about European regions such as "Scandinavia" and "Great Britain", European currencies and Schengen countries. I`ve even heard some Thai people say they have seen Svalbard on Thai TV. Svalbard is a Norwegian island with just a population of 2500 people, whereas 110 are Thais. How many of you have heard about Svalbard?

[anto]

Image of the suspect released by police. Hard to tell ethnicity - could be anything from these, but that shirt is quite distinctive.

He certainly does not look Thai ,but thats not much to go on .

Edited August 18, 2015 by anto

[jaywalker]

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

As I'm sure the chief of police has done.

My thoughts exactly. Without some significant travel under one's belt, it's easy to lump, say, Asians, into one basket just as easily as they can mistake a Mexican for a Saudi, though I do doubt it was a Mexican behind this.

Who bombed New York, Boston, London, Madrid? Islamists.

Who did the the London cops shoot that time? An innocent Brazilian because he looked Arabic (mostly - from what I've read).

Who bombed Oklahoma City? Just a random psycho American.

RIP to the deceased & I wish the injured a speedy and full recovery, but it's way too early for the 'Officials' to be spouting off speculative garbage.

Then again, I'm surprised it took them this long to start flapping their traps about something as vague as "Arabic looking".

[DirtyDan]

Looks like the government also has an idea of where to look:

Edited August 18, 2015 by Crossy
Link to Bangkok Post removed per forum rules