Powerful bomb thrown into Chao Phraya river beneath Taksin bridge

[Fullstop]

That's two in a row in front of CCTV cameras. They want it filmed. Stay away from CCTV cameras....

[EnglishJohn]

When you don't allow people a valid space to "voice" discontents and grievances, they do so anyway but in a manner that is unacceptable!

Utter nonsense. The people planting these bombs are not doing it because they feel aggrieved, they are doing it because some Mr Big has paid them a few thousand baht to do it.

These are terrorist scum murdering people for money. I haven't seen anything from red-shirts in 10 years which gives me any reason to think they have any principles or ethics other than money. We have seen it all before so save the 'noble cause' crap for your comrades.

[Overandout]

What concerns me about this (obviously failed) attempt is, where was this device meant to go off?

If it was destined for the BTS station then we can take one positive (that for some reason the perpetrator was not able to plant it where he wanted to) and one negative (that there was an intention to cause significant harm to innocent people).

The OP stated that it was thrown onto the walkway by a man. It appears, luckily, that the device didn't stay where it was intended and fell into the water.

Unless there are two groups of maniacs roaming the streets of Bkk, with pipe bombs, then this is most certainly related. The initial intent was that the device would explode on the walkway, releasing the shrapnel it was packed with.

Could have been devastating if the bomb went off in the open and the blast was not absorbed by the water. If the water spout was over 10 meters high and the blast was still able to scatter pellets over a large area, then it was a sizable device. Don't kid yourself on that.

Has it occured to you that the device may have been thrown off the bridge just to get rid of it after not being able to plant it in another location?

[Travelman868]

Nowhere near as big as Erawan explosion, a firework would do as much. Doubt these are connected.

Oh do wake up. Both the devices were pack with pellets, probably ball bearings. One was delivered by car or motorcycle and the other on foot, so one was heavier

and made a bigger bang.

NEITHER WERE FIREWORKS

Both were lethal.

[eldragon]

This should be enough to convince everyone that more attacks are on the way.

Two days in a row...in Bangkok...and this one not at a religious site.

Failed attempt..thankfully...but where will the next one be...and how soon?

My guess is crowded areas where wealthy foreigners are known to frequent. Places near one or more 5-star hotels. That's the only connection at this point. Be careful everyone.

[empireboy]

When you don't allow people a valid space to "voice" discontents and grievances, they do so anyway but in a manner that is unacceptable!

So we will expect some milion of Bombs now,

because evryone who want talk and not allowed,

draw a Bomb by your mind !!

It is impossible to say what the results will be, only that there always consequences to actions - on BOTH sides.

I am simply saying, repressing people only works for so long

[smedly]

wasn't a student in the press recently after blowing his arm off in a workshop full of explosives and fertiliser, some claimed he was making fireworks

keep the feet for dancing

[empireboy]

When you don't allow people a valid space to "voice" discontents and grievances, they do so anyway but in a manner that is unacceptable!

So we will expect some milion of Bombs now,

because evryone who want talk and not allowed,

draw a Bomb by your mind !!

Not everyone stoops to violence

[UKJASE]

looks like a big bomb to me, and aimed at another tourist hotspot. worrying times

[empireboy]

When you don't allow people a valid space to "voice" discontents and grievances, they do so anyway but in a manner that is unacceptable!

Utter nonsense. The people planting these bombs are not doing it because they feel aggrieved, they are doing it because some Mr Big has paid them a few thousand baht to do it.

These are terrorist scum murdering people for money. I haven't seen anything from red-shirts in 10 years which gives me any reason to think they have any principles or ethics other than money. We have seen it all before so save the 'noble cause' crap for your comrades.

I like your footer "never argue with idiots" and I think I'll take the advice

[peterb0576]

I think the pellets that came off make the authority's think it could be a pipe bomb or some other form of IED, but maybe a copy cat with a large firework with pellets attached, but who knows.

[chrisinth]

What concerns me about this (obviously failed) attempt is, where was this device meant to go off?

If it was destined for the BTS station then we can take one positive (that for some reason the perpetrator was not able to plant it where he wanted to) and one negative (that there was an intention to cause significant harm to innocent people).

The OP stated that it was thrown onto the walkway by a man. It appears, luckily, that the device didn't stay where it was intended and fell into the water.

Unless there are two groups of maniacs roaming the streets of Bkk, with pipe bombs, then this is most certainly related. The initial intent was that the device would explode on the walkway, releasing the shrapnel it was packed with.

Could have been devastating if the bomb went off in the open and the blast was not absorbed by the water. If the water spout was over 10 meters high and the blast was still able to scatter pellets over a large area, then it was a sizable device. Don't kid yourself on that.

Has it occured to you that the device may have been thrown off the bridge just to get rid of it after not being able to plant it in another location?

If the timer had self activated, possibly. If he had lost the trigger (cellphone, second walkie-talkie handset, television remote, etc, etc, etc) possibly.

If none of the above, then no, it didn't occur to me.

I believe it was a premeditated action, but that is only my opinion.

[Mackie]

What concerns me about this (obviously failed) attempt is, where was this device meant to go off?

If it was destined for the BTS station then we can take one positive (that for some reason the perpetrator was not able to plant it where he wanted to) and one negative (that there was an intention to cause significant harm to innocent people).

The OP stated that it was thrown onto the walkway by a man. It appears, luckily, that the device didn't stay where it was intended and fell into the water.

Unless there are two groups of maniacs roaming the streets of Bkk, with pipe bombs, then this is most certainly related. The initial intent was that the device would explode on the walkway, releasing the shrapnel it was packed with.

Could have been devastating if the bomb went off in the open and the blast was not absorbed by the water. If the water spout was over 10 meters high and the blast was still able to scatter pellets over a large area, then it was a sizable device. Don't kid yourself on that.

Has it occured to you that the device may have been thrown off the bridge just to get rid of it after not being able to plant it in another location?

And then somehow the device miraculously exploded? If you read carefully you will notice that the device was thrown on the walkway. Fortunately for people around it bounced off into the river.

[shaurene]

This is so sad for Thailand and the PM must be furious. There has to be a huge Army presence in Babgkok and fully armed to give assurances to the people and tourists. Not the police because if you fully arm them they are not trained like the army there will be fear that they will just fire and ask questions later like the USA Police. But I am sure our PM knows this.

Thailand has to start looking at Muslim COUNTRYS like Pakistan and the IS. I am sure the South Thailand Muslims are not involved. It is hard to imagine it is political as there would be no gain to this. The PM will have full backing from the military as he is greatly respected by most THAIS and Falangs living here.

Go for it Mr Prime Minister you can do it and do not turn your nose up to international help. It cannot do harm except for the typical Thai loosing face attitude.

[Mr Wonderful]

This is so sad for Thailand and the PM must be furious. There has to be a huge Army presence in Babgkok and fully armed to give assurances to the people and tourists. Not the police because if you fully arm them they are not trained like the army there will be fear that they will just fire and ask questions later like the USA Police. But I am sure our PM knows this.

Thailand has to start looking at Muslim COUNTRYS like Pakistan and the IS. I am sure the South Thailand Muslims are not involved. It is hard to imagine it is political as there would be no gain to this. The PM will have full backing from the military as he is greatly respected by most THAIS and Falangs living here.

Go for it Mr Prime Minister you can do it and do not turn your nose up to international help. It cannot do harm except for the typical Thai loosing face attitude.

Are you serious? Help from outside thailand? Thailand is the center of the universe. Cmon.

I think the Junta had to clear the political gutters but they are rapidly overstaying their welcome. The PM seemed like an educated and reasonable man. But he has a foot in mouth syndrome and expresses rather weird views at times.

The other problem is that when the people in power keep shutting down dissent, opposition will just go about their business quietly until things come to a blow. Literally.

Maybe it's just some students making loud noises because they have to walk too far for their beer...

[Howitzer]

at saphan thaksin no less.

things that make you go hmmm.

taksin is the first king of siam before the current dynasty read on his story and his curse. i obviously cannot post more here.

[OnTheRun]

"The last time a person insulted me and my wife so profoundly, he ended up in a coma, (and he was an active duty US Marine)".

Wow, you must be well hard.

[JAG]

Well the red shirts did say they would plant 100 bombs in Bangkok.

98 to go.

Lets hope peace and stability is restored again and swift arrests are made of those that want to see this govt fail before more innocent life's are lost.

It was only a matter of time before the fanatics came back out.

Classic!

I rather assumed that Djjamie was referring to the fact that he hasn't posted much for the last few days!

[rijit]

Cant see anything confirming the other found bombs?

rijit

[BirdsandBooze]

Nowhere near as big as Erawan explosion, a firework would do as much. Doubt these are connected.

Considering it exploded underwater pretty damn big. Lucky it missed the ferry.

Scary times.

Not really. Pound for pound an underwater explosion would be many times more massive than one on land, this might have been a very small grenade but certainly not a pipe bomb, at least IMO.

Doesn't water centralize the blast stopping it from expanding. I do believe water bags are used in bomb disposal in confined spaces.

Water being denser than air is hard to move. In a larger body of water though the effect of underwater shockwave amplification caused by an explosion can cause more damage to a target like a ship than a direct contact above water explosive charge of equal energy can.

[rijit]

"The last time a person insulted me and my wife so profoundly, he ended up in a coma, (and he was an active duty US Marine)".

Wow, you must be well hard.

Ah come on perhaps the guys got mental health issues.

rijit

[Basil B]

at saphan thaksin no less.

things that make you go hmmm.

Its Taksin not Thaksin. Different spellings and pronunciations in Thai.

I would have thought that misspelling it could invoke the LM laws

[whooshbang]

I think the pellets that came off make the authority's think it could be a pipe bomb or some other form of IED, but maybe a copy cat with a large firework with pellets attached, but who knows.

Interesting theory this firework thing. Just a thought but if a firework was thrown into the water wouldn't it simply be extinguished and remain floating on the surface. (or sink if pellets were somehow attached)?

Sorry, but a Firework this was most certainly not and for those in "the blast was too small" camp... Ask yourself this.... could the device have sunk several meters or more before detonation? thus reducing the shock radius even more? How deep exactly is the water in that location?

[Lorn]

Well the red shirts did say they would plant 100 bombs in Bangkok.

98 to go.

Lets hope peace and stability is restored again and swift arrests are made of those that want to see this govt fail before more innocent life's are lost.

It was only a matter of time before the fanatics came back out.

Classic!

I rather assumed that Djjamie was referring to the fact that he hasn't posted much for the last few days!

I'm beginning to think he must be trolling.

[Muggi1968]

I made a lot of waterbombs when i was young (Not in Thailand)

Am i the only one who think the Taksin bridge waterbooms was just teenagers having fun on the wrong day ?

​

[ourmanflint]

I think the pellets that came off make the authority's think it could be a pipe bomb or some other form of IED, but maybe a copy cat with a large firework with pellets attached, but who knows.

Interesting theory this firework thing. Just a thought but if a firework was thrown into the water wouldn't it simply be extinguished and remain floating on the surface. (or sink if pellets were somehow attached)?

Sorry, but a Firework this was most certainly not and for those in "the blast was too small" camp... Ask yourself this.... could the device have sunk several meters or more before detonation? thus reducing the shock radius even more? How deep exactly is the water in that location?

Having seen the second clip from different angle it does look more serious than I first thought. Still if it contained pellets or something, I'm surprised those nearby didn't get hurt, or pontoon wasn't damaged.

[VINCENT2012]

after the 2nd world wars.... some intelectuel people, predict, said that the next wars in the future will be religion wars...and it unfortunetly today looks like it, all over the planet.

the integrisme, the jihadism principally with all those fanatics are going to make us mad.

like carl marx said: religion is the opium of the people.

to stop this we have to scheck what all these human crasy preachers, in their privat "sacred" temple says to the mass and we will have to make responsible all government or privat people who permit that kind of death propaganda.

we also have to educate our children at school and to explain the religions in general to make them understand them to avoid some stupid use that for their criminal ideas.

[a99az]

Bloody hell what's happening. Hope they catch them.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Could be someone doing a bit of illegal fishing!! And I bet they caught a lot judging by the bang.

[a99az]

after the 2nd world wars.... some intelectuel people, predict, said that the next wars in the future will be religion wars...and it unfortunetly today looks like it, all over the planet.

the integrisme, the jihadism principally with all those fanatics are going to make us mad.

like carl marx said: religion is the opium of the people.

to stop this we have to scheck what all these human crasy preachers, in their privat "sacred" temple says to the mass and we will have to make responsible all government or privat people who permit that kind of death propaganda.

we also have to educate our children at school and to explain the religions in general to make them understand them to avoid some stupid use that for their criminal ideas.

Bit late me thinks!!

[Tywais]

Security Message for U.S. Citizens:Explosion at the Sathorn Pier beneath the Taksin Bridge

August 18, 2015

This message is to inform U.S. citizens in Thailand that local law enforcement and media sources are reporting a suspicious explosion at the Sathorn Pier beneath the Taksin bridge along the Chao Phraya River this afternoon, Aug 18. There are no reports of damage or injuries. Please stay clear of the affected area, including the Saphan Taksin BTS station, while authorities investigate. Monitor media reports for further information.

Review your personal security plans; remain aware of your surroundings, including local events; and monitor local news stations for updates. Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security and follow instructions of local authorities.

We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Thailand enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at www.Travel.State.Gov. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.