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

[zaphod reborn]

Looking at the list of injured people, if the bomber was targeting a group, mostly ethnic Chinese were in the area of the shrine. This is more consistent with an act of an Uyghur terrorist. Obviously, Thailand could be considered a target, given its deportation of Uyghur nationals to China. http://thediplomat.com/2015/07/thailand-deports-100-uyghurs-to-china/ It was only a month ago, that the Thai embassy was attacked. No proof, just speculating on a possible motive, and the fact that this group might get overlooked on the TVF.

[Fat Haggis]

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.

Acceptable?! Where did you get that crazy idea Haggis. They get away with it because they are Generals and the Thai media bends over backwards to post up whatever outrageous statements, deliberate misinformation and outright porky pies they are spouting on a regular basis.. It is highly disturbing how many TV posters know better but join in the Kowtow party in treating their ramblings as having more veracity than your local Leo swilling X Pat from Nakhon Nowhere. .

That said when was the last time a General was posting on TV? Why would posters here treat him any different than your run of the mill CT nutter..

I take it you didn't frequent the Koh Tao murders threads on here then? there was a very distinct group of RTP sycophants defending them. and anyone who formed an "opinion" such as the head of the Army in this instance, the group of 4 were on them like tramps on chips!! calling them CT's

[Fat Haggis]

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.

They were handing out free DTAC sim cards at Swampy on Sunday morning as you made your way to immigration..I have 4 in my pocket, I guess they didn't get the memo about simcard registration then?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

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.

I was going to say, from reading the various news coverage in the past 24 hours...

The media has been saying that the police have yet successfully prosecute suspects in ANY of the following major bombing cases:

--2006 CentralWorld New Year's Eve

--outside Siam Paragon earlier this year

--Central Festival Koh Samui

And they had/have video evidence in some of those cases as well.

Doesn't say much for their ability to bring the suspects to justice in these kinds of cases.

[rott]

Forget which channel it was on last night but when a gentleman from a certain local daily journal was asked for his opinion of who was responsible, he replied that it seemed odd that shortly after the setting up of a major incident commission (or similar) we have a major incident.

[Tomtomtom69]

'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

The chances that is Islamic is bit higher than a Greek bomb against the bailout and as long as I know there is no free Buenos Aires movement.

So it can be a hired Arab with a different purpose (I guess if you want to bomb you find the know-how in Arab countries) or it is Islamic motivated.

If Islamic motivated I think we should hear a statement from the group, soon. (What would be the purpose of the bomb if you can't claim credit....)

Islamic would be better for Thailand than a Red/Yellow/Democracy/Military/Police related reason.

IF it is found to be Islam related then OF COURSE it will be an Arab and not a white man responsible. A white man placing a bomb in Bangkok? Huh...that would be about the most bizarre thing I've ever heard. IF that were the case, expect angry mobs of locals throwing rocks at all westerners and then Thailand would become a no-go zone for westerners. Hope that will never happen. In a similar vein, the 1999 accidental air attack on the Belgrade Chinese embassy produced numerous attacks of westerners by Chinese people in China. Even though it was the US government and NOT the US people involved, Chinese people just blindly assumed all westerners were Americans - rocks were thrown at them and abuse hurled at people just because they were white (and assumed to be American). In homogeneous socities being a minority can be a VERY dangerous thing if even one of them does something bad, suddenly all members of that group are assumed to be bad.

But Islamic terrorists HAVE struck Bangkok before. A year or two ago some Iranian dude blew his leg off or something near Ramkhamhaeng (motive unknown), while in 1991 Hezbollah terrorists targeted the Israeli embassy.

NOW I am reading reports from the Diplomat and other sources that IF this attack was carried out by someone Islamic looking from the Middle East, most likely the motivation was the recent deportation of hundreds of Uyghurs back to China. Just a few weeks ago this action was protested by Turkish ultra-nationalists in Turkey, who targeted the Thai embassy there. Since the Erawan Shrine is mostly popular with Asian tourists (normally very few westerners go there) AND it's in a busy area I buy the theory that the motive was a revenge attack on Thailand that also hurt Chinese too, as there are usually tons of Chinese tourists at that shrine.

Another theory is that the southern terrorists have lifted their game. But Arabs are not normally associated with that conflict, so if we stick to topic and try to associate the sighting of an Arab possibly linked to this attack, then clearly the Uyghur revenge theory is quite plausible.

But I don't want to jump to any conclusions, however, as a forum topic where we can discuss our ideas, this theory, which was brought forward by the Diplomat magazine and website currently seems quite likely.

http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/interview-analyzing-thailands-erawan-shrine-bomb-blast/

[Anuman]

In this french newspaper it is said that the suspect looks like Issan not arabic...http://m.nouvelobs.com/monde/20150817.OBS4283/thailande-attentat-a-la-bombe-a-bangkok-ce-que-l-on-sait.html#

[Tomtomtom69]

and so the profiling begins!

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

Africanteacher, profiling is a fact of life, even more so in a homogeneous society like Thailand. What do you think they would do otherwise, start searching the homes of 80 year old wheelchair bound grandmas so as to not upset the real suspects?

And if you haven't already noticed, PC hasn't arrived in Thailand yet. They call a spade a spade here, whether you like it or not. And frankly nobody cares whether a foreigner likes being called a foreigner or not. As you have probably noticed when you flew into Thailand - at passport control we're called "FOREIGNERS" rather than something more subtle like visitors or non-Thais.

[Time Traveller]

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?

Spot on Starky. I was surprised to look into this and find that in 6 posts not one of the TV mouth breather squad has posted up the obvious; Evil Dr T was recruiting in Dubai and ..... Mystery solved.

Perhaps they are off trolling other threads this morning

No mate, it was the Army who paid off the arab. They staged a false flag attack as an excuse to jusify more draconian laws and cancel elections from now until eternity.

[h90]

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 .

From that photo I can't tell if he looks Thai or not....The only thing I can see he is not black. So one continent to exclude...Could be German, Arab, Thai, Japanese, Inuit, Dutch....from that photo

[h90]

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?

Spot on Starky. I was surprised to look into this and find that in 6 posts not one of the TV mouth breather squad has posted up the obvious; Evil Dr T was recruiting in Dubai and ..... Mystery solved.

Perhaps they are off trolling other threads this morning

No mate, it was the Army who paid off the arab. They staged a false flag attack as an excuse to jusify more draconian laws and cancel elections from now until eternity.

That wouldn't make sense, as the army obviously doesn't want to make government.....And Prayut likes it silent. As well if he want more draconian laws, he can simply make them, he doesn't need to justify them.

[HenryB]

'Arab Lookng'' is very vague. Are they referring to his facial features, his clothing or what?

Hard for me to believe this could be a Arab as Thailand always friendly too Arabs in the UN and has recognize the Palestine State

Please tell me why would a Arab do this to a great and News

Edited August 18, 2015 by HenryB

[Tomtomtom69]

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.

Nah - unless it's particularly difficult for a Thai to get a gun or bomb making materials it's as easy for a foreigner as for a Thai, makes no difference whatsoever.

Criminals will always easily get access to whatever they may want or need. They could use an intermediary, pay off the right people, it's Thailand, almost anything goes here especially if you have money.

[wellred]

If they have them on camera then post a picture.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[xtof2]

And the same sh*t again !

They always got a picture to show.

They always do hasty - and wrong - statements.

... But they never catch anyone!

They will never learn.

[bander]

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.

Am I the only one who suspect they gone pin this bombing on a foreigner to save Thailand's reputation?

[kannot]

Well it is nice to see that it wasn't a Thai person or a Thai looking person who may have been responsible for this heinous act!!

yes probably only supplied the tnt ex army or ex quarry.

[Soutpeel]

'Arab Lookng'' is very vague. Are they referring to his facial features, his clothing or what?

May be riding a camel ?

[kannot]

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 .

From that photo I can't tell if he looks Thai or not....The only thing I can see he is not black. So one continent to exclude...Could be German, Arab, Thai, Japanese, Inuit, Dutch....from that photo

Conspiracy theorists will have him black AND an Alien before you know it!

[kannot]

'Arab Lookng'' is very vague. Are they referring to his facial features, his clothing or what?

May be riding a camel ?

Its always a giveaway isnt it!

Edited August 18, 2015 by kannot

[BKKBrit]

This photo was taken by a Thai walking over the pedestrian walkway a few minutes before the blast and lo and behold..there's the yellow shirted guy with backpack. He then apparently left the backpack, made a call and left quickly

[BirdsandBooze]

'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

The chances that is Islamic is bit higher than a Greek bomb against the bailout and as long as I know there is no free Buenos Aires movement.

So it can be a hired Arab with a different purpose (I guess if you want to bomb you find the know-how in Arab countries) or it is Islamic motivated.

If Islamic motivated I think we should hear a statement from the group, soon. (What would be the purpose of the bomb if you can't claim credit....)

Islamic would be better for Thailand than a Red/Yellow/Democracy/Military/Police related reason.

IF it is found to be Islam related then OF COURSE it will be an Arab and not a white man responsible. A white man placing a bomb in Bangkok? Huh...that would be about the most bizarre thing I've ever heard. IF that were the case, expect angry mobs of locals throwing rocks at all westerners and then Thailand would become a no-go zone for westerners. Hope that will never happen. In a similar vein, the 1999 accidental air attack on the Belgrade Chinese embassy produced numerous attacks of westerners by Chinese people in China. Even though it was the US government and NOT the US people involved, Chinese people just blindly assumed all westerners were Americans - rocks were thrown at them and abuse hurled at people just because they were white (and assumed to be American). In homogeneous socities being a minority can be a VERY dangerous thing if even one of them does something bad, suddenly all members of that group are assumed to be bad.

But Islamic terrorists HAVE struck Bangkok before. A year or two ago some Iranian dude blew his leg off or something near Ramkhamhaeng (motive unknown), while in 1991 Hezbollah terrorists targeted the Israeli embassy.

NOW I am reading reports from the Diplomat and other sources that IF this attack was carried out by someone Islamic looking from the Middle East, most likely the motivation was the recent deportation of hundreds of Uyghurs back to China. Just a few weeks ago this action was protested by Turkish ultra-nationalists in Turkey, who targeted the Thai embassy there. Since the Erawan Shrine is mostly popular with Asian tourists (normally very few westerners go there) AND it's in a busy area I buy the theory that the motive was a revenge attack on Thailand that also hurt Chinese too, as there are usually tons of Chinese tourists at that shrine.

Another theory is that the southern terrorists have lifted their game. But Arabs are not normally associated with that conflict, so if we stick to topic and try to associate the sighting of an Arab possibly linked to this attack, then clearly the Uyghur revenge theory is quite plausible.

But I don't want to jump to any conclusions, however, as a forum topic where we can discuss our ideas, this theory, which was brought forward by the Diplomat magazine and website currently seems quite likely.

http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/interview-analyzing-thailands-erawan-shrine-bomb-blast/

You've obviously never seen a Muslim from the Caucasus region of Russia. Equally as many Chechens, and those from their neighbouring countries, can pass for a white European as those that can pass for a Turk or an Arab. The Islamic terrorist White Widows of Chechnia were given that title for a reason. They were white. Many Muslims from the Caucasus have been and still are involved in global terrorism. Best to keep an open mind as to the ethnicity of the perpetrators.

[Cpkt8]

Personally I think the perpetrator is non-Buddhist. No Buddhist will dare to do such unforgivable act at the shrine.

[slerickson]

'Arab Lookng'' is very vague. Are they referring to his facial features, his clothing or what?

Hard for me to believe this could be a Arab as Thailand always friendly too Arabs in the UN and has recognize the Palestine State

Please tell me why would a Arab do this to a great and News

Guy in picture could pass for Jewish or Palestinian among others. Maybe another Mossad false flag attack to turn Thais against Palestine.

[Sutty]

God there are some idiots on here isalamic state better for Thailand wake up and listen to yourself

[Soutpeel]

'Arab Lookng'' is very vague. Are they referring to his facial features, his clothing or what?

Hard for me to believe this could be a Arab as Thailand always friendly too Arabs in the UN and has recognize the Palestine State

Please tell me why would a Arab do this to a great and News

Guy in picture could pass for Jewish or Palestinian among others. Maybe another Mossad false flag attack to turn Thais against Palestine.

Please dont even go down that line, you will have people on here accusing you of bring an anti semite shortly

[firestar]

This photo was taken by a Thai walking over the pedestrian walkway a few minutes before the blast and lo and behold..there's the yellow shirted guy with backpack. He then apparently left the backpack, made a call and left quickly

Walks in with a backpack, leaves without it, hiding his tattoos... don't know where he's from but it sure looks like police are on the right track.

[MaeJoMTB]

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

Looks like a Korean tourist to me.

Definitely not Arab in any way, shape or form.

[LarryBird]

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

It's always chilling to see images like this. He will be caught soon if that is him.

[TacoHell]

This photo was taken by a Thai walking over the pedestrian walkway a few minutes before the blast and lo and behold..there's the yellow shirted guy with backpack. He then apparently left the backpack, made a call and left quickly

Yikes! Thanks for posting that.