Bangkok bombings now believed to be internal conflict rather than international terrorism

[anon467367354]

I recently took a motorcycle taxi at Siriaj and the driver spoke perfect English. He happened to have a degree in engineering and owned a company that was having issues so he's using his motorbike to make money, and he said he makes good money.

Let's not dismiss all the taxi drivers as stupid or uneducated because you never know.

On another thought...

I don't understand how the guy in the picture is supposed to be considered Asian? He doesn't look anything Asian to me, not even in they eyes.

Yes he could be a foreigner that is causing internal issues, it's been done before. Let's not forget that some countries out there have made it

business as usual to overthrow governments usually by starting some internal conflict. Stay open people, the closed and cynical usually miss the obvious.

Would it be unfair to suggest that you seem to categorize Asians as slant eyed, tanned skinned etc?

Let's suppose the man in this picture is an Israeli or Iranian. He is thus an Asian, but according to you, he doesn't "look"Asian.

bomber.jpg

Is there a particular design for an Asian that you have in mind?

Yup, I think of Orientals as Asians as do most Orientals.

If you say this person looks Asian, then they could be from anywhere, it means nothing in that case.

Considering "Asia" borders Europe, includes Russian and China and the Orient, Middle East etc, what does Asian look like?

Most Thai people I know consider Orientals to look Asian and considering the police conducting this investigation are Orientals

and mention the person looked Asian, I'm going with the Oriental theme.

[Baerboxer]

I don't doubt that Mr T is a crook but there is literally no gain in him doing this. It'll cement the juntas power and not really affect tourist numbers long term.

From discussions with Thais I know.

Some think it was Thaksin. They suggest the Shrine was targeted to attack the fundamental and beliefs of many Thais. We call it superstition but many Thais, of all social levels and education believe strongly in their religion and what to us are associated superstitions. They say he was demonstrating that the Military and Junta can't protect you, and neither can your believes in these old powers; and that he can do what he wants regardless of either. That was apparently sparked by media comments on Monday. They never mentioned tourists or investors and thought that wouldn't be affected much.

Those that support the red shirts / PTP say more likely a false flag op so the Junta can tighten and extend their authority and tell other governments they have no choice but to do so.

All the Thais I spoke with dismissed the deportations to China, the Southern insurgency, ISIS, AQ or any outside political / religious group. The do claim many attacks in Thailand are carried out by paid foreign criminals but that those behind it are Thai. Interesting they all so quickly dismiss foreign responsibility.

I don't know and to say otherwise is pure speculation and as the BBC guy said surmising. But, we've seen so many examples here of botched or engineered results of police investigations that are either a complete mess or concur with someones particular agenda. Difficult to give the RTP any credibility. Hope the poster who said the AFP are actively involved is correct. Without professional, skilled, impartial help the RTP will perform as normal.

Until some one admits responsibility, or some one is caught with real evidence, we'll never know. Strange there has been no claims, no demands, no threats of more to come unless. Almost as if those responsible think those in authority already know.

[streboris]

Very US propaganda painted view of terroris...

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[firestar]

What?!? The police said YESTERDAY that he was a foreign man, that the taxi heard him on the phone speaking in a language that wasn't either English or Thai

[Fat Haggis]

The job was too sophisticated for Uighurs or disaffected southern insurgents to have carried out. Experts discount the suggestion there is an IS connection. If you listen closely to the Thai language interviews with senior officials, you can pick up that the government has a chief suspect although they might not have the evidence to name them just yet. The bomber could have been anyone hired for a price but my guess is the person ordering the job was almost certainly Thai.

What exactly is sophisticated about dropping off a backpack with a device inside, that's remotely activated probably by telephone?

It wasn't sophisticated in the 7th July attacks in the UK which killed dozens of people, all the perps were "homegrown" terrorists.

It wasn't sophisticated to blow apart the train in Madrid.

It hasn't been sophisticated in the Middle East, where hundreds have been killed almost weekly with such devices.

so I ask you again, what was sophisticated about it?

You swallowing the Junta's mantra that it was a "sophisticated" bomb, as it left no trace? That's complete bullshit, every device leaves evidence, right down to the remote detonators, I will tell you why it is being labeled "sophisticated" shall I ? It's because the authorities simply have NOT GOT A CLUE, they were too busy looking to restore their only Saviour "tourism", that they hurried the investigation, failed to gather up sufficient evidence, and were too busy hosing the place down to get it back open again as a priority, rather than painstaking finger tip by finger tip comb that site for the smallest of clues.

The deceased are also evidence by the way, as cold as it might sound but they need to be thoroughly examined for evidence, such as the shrapnel etc.

Somyot is a clown, it's clear as day he's never been an investigative detective in his life, either that, there's people higher up than him telling him what to do, and what to say, which wouldn't surprise me.

What also doesn't surprise me is that every time there's a semi crisis in the country, and things are not looking too great for the Junta, along comes an "incident" and a finger is pointed.

How can this lot be held in any sort of high regards, after their constant meddling, and supposition over the last incident in Samui ? Have you noticed how quiet that suddenly went ? And another case where "arrest warrants have been issued" and " we will have this concluded in days" or " we have proof that x, y and z " are behind this.

Now back to your Uihigurs, the Chinese stated that the ones deported back were en route to join IS, so they were already radicalised, that there is enough to debunk their lack of sophistication, they've detonated devices in China in the past as well you know ?.

I don't think the government ever said the bomb was sophisticated. To them all bombs are the same.

Uighurs are displaced people in their own country. They have used Thailand as an escape route. Just like Rohingyas or the Hmong. They have no capacity to carry out bombings in the middle of Bangkok nor desire to do so lest Thailand be completely closed off as a route for their escape in future.

It's pure nonsense to suppose that the job was planned and carried out under anything but the direction of a Thai group. Has the signature of a disaffected group wanting to get back at the government that displaced them. It's the same power-play we've seen stretching back to the early '70s, using Thai citizens as the meat in their rancid sandwich.

The Government were the first to use the term "sophisticated bomb" never seen before in Thailand, as it left NO trace... hardly surprising as in their rush to downplay the "tourism is doomed" scenario, they washed a lot of evidence away that night!!

Why do you say they have no capacity? A smart phone, an inernet connection, a few you tube videos, and a few bits and bobs from Du Home supplies all the capacity one needs.

Back during the Northern Ireland conflict, incendiary devices using an old flash bulb, a battery, a watch with hands, and some cotton wool inside a cassette pack was more than enough to burn down million pound department stores.

Thailand closed off?? their borders are a joke, I think you are downplaying the facts here that even the simplest person can make the grandest exits!!

[firestar]

"Foreign language, not English also," national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said when asked by reporters whether a man seen leaving a backpack in the shrine minutes before Monday's deadly explosion spoke any foreign languages."

Police Statement made late last night by the national police. Someone needs to tell him to get on the Thaksin did it agenda.

[bumpity]

What Prayuth and his cronies want concluded is that "Thaksin paid foreigners to do the job." If it's at all possible, the evidence will be twisted to reach that conclusion. Then the real crackdown on popuism begins, with their righteous justification.

[FredNL]

The bombings were carried out by organized movement so as to intimidate foreign tourists, foreign investors not to come to Thailand.
“They wanted to discredit the government, undermine the economy so as to make foreign investors to lose confidence in the country,” he said.

Any foreign investor with brains moved out of Thailand years ago !!!

I've added one word to the sentence, it must be placed between foreign and investors or replace foreign: criminal

[Dibbler]

The job was too sophisticated for Uighurs or disaffected southern insurgents to have carried out. Experts discount the suggestion there is an IS connection. If you listen closely to the Thai language interviews with senior officials, you can pick up that the government has a chief suspect although they might not have the evidence to name them just yet. The bomber could have been anyone hired for a price but my guess is the person ordering the job was almost certainly Thai.

What exactly is sophisticated about dropping off a backpack with a device inside, that's remotely activated probably by telephone?

It wasn't sophisticated in the 7th July attacks in the UK which killed dozens of people, all the perps were "homegrown" terrorists.

It wasn't sophisticated to blow apart the train in Madrid.

It hasn't been sophisticated in the Middle East, where hundreds have been killed almost weekly with such devices.

so I ask you again, what was sophisticated about it?

You swallowing the Junta's mantra that it was a "sophisticated" bomb, as it left no trace? That's complete bullshit, every device leaves evidence, right down to the remote detonators, I will tell you why it is being labeled "sophisticated" shall I ? It's because the authorities simply have NOT GOT A CLUE, they were too busy looking to restore their only Saviour "tourism", that they hurried the investigation, failed to gather up sufficient evidence, and were too busy hosing the place down to get it back open again as a priority, rather than painstaking finger tip by finger tip comb that site for the smallest of clues.

The deceased are also evidence by the way, as cold as it might sound but they need to be thoroughly examined for evidence, such as the shrapnel etc.

Somyot is a clown, it's clear as day he's never been an investigative detective in his life, either that, there's people higher up than him telling him what to do, and what to say, which wouldn't surprise me.

What also doesn't surprise me is that every time there's a semi crisis in the country, and things are not looking too great for the Junta, along comes an "incident" and a finger is pointed.

How can this lot be held in any sort of high regards, after their constant meddling, and supposition over the last incident in Samui ? Have you noticed how quiet that suddenly went ? And another case where "arrest warrants have been issued" and " we will have this concluded in days" or " we have proof that x, y and z " are behind this.

Now back to your Uihigurs, the Chinese stated that the ones deported back were en route to join IS, so they were already radicalised, that there is enough to debunk their lack of sophistication, they've detonated devices in China in the past as well you know ?.

I don't think the government ever said the bomb was sophisticated. To them all bombs are the same.

Uighurs are displaced people in their own country. They have used Thailand as an escape route. Just like Rohingyas or the Hmong. They have no capacity to carry out bombings in the middle of Bangkok nor desire to do so lest Thailand be completely closed off as a route for their escape in future.

It's pure nonsense to suppose that the job was planned and carried out under anything but the direction of a Thai group. Has the signature of a disaffected group wanting to get back at the government that displaced them. It's the same power-play we've seen stretching back to the early '70s, using Thai citizens as the meat in their rancid sandwich.

The Government were the first to use the term "sophisticated bomb" never seen before in Thailand, as it left NO trace... hardly surprising as in their rush to downplay the "tourism is doomed" scenario, they washed a lot of evidence away that night!!

Why do you say they have no capacity? A smart phone, an inernet connection, a few you tube videos, and a few bits and bobs from Du Home supplies all the capacity one needs.

Back during the Northern Ireland conflict, incendiary devices using an old flash bulb, a battery, a watch with hands, and some cotton wool inside a cassette pack was more than enough to burn down million pound department stores.

Thailand closed off?? their borders are a joke, I think you are downplaying the facts here that even the simplest person can make the grandest exits!!

It's a moot point whether its easy or difficult for anyone to plant a bomb such as this one. The "Uighurs did it" camp is clutching at straws as there is no reason why they would conduct an operation like this when they badly want to avoid the attention of the Thai police. They want to maintain that land escape route from China through Lao, Thailand to Malaysia where they can get Turkish passports and escape persecution.

[uksomchai]

Of course when London suffered a bombing in 7/7 the British police unlike the RTP had the case wrapped up within days and if you discount the police marksmen ( term used very loosely ) shooting an innocent Brazilian in the head several times from inches away and even managing to miss a couple of times they did a sterling job and as said the job was wrapped up without a hitch

A lot of people here on TV watch far too much crime TV where everything is sorted within minutes and the bad guys never get away with things

Get real people the RTP have a gargantuan job to do and are getting on with it.

Any suspect arrested in Thailand will not have an army of human rights lawyers making sure his precious human rights are not infringed in the slightest way so try to keep things in perspective people

[The Deerhunter]

Huh? They said 10 minutes ago the suspect was a foreigner? Dear oh dear,. Thailand really has the govt it deserves now

Always trying to put the worst spin on everything in your ongoing role as a red-shirt/PTP/UDD apologist. I have no idea who did it but I would not have thought it looked like something even the red-shirts would do.

If, as the government say, it is someone '"internal" behind it, they could well have employed specialist foreigners, Which means it may not actually be the contradiction you suggest. I am not sure how many really experienced high class bomb makers we have here. Let's hope there is none!!!!!

[Fat Haggis]

Who was it that attacked the Thai embassy in Turkey last month? and what was the main reasons for that to have happened?

[Dogmatix]

I agree that they haven't s clue who might have done it and know that Thai police have a snowball's of catching them due to the fact that promotion is based revenue generation ability and loyalty to the high heidyins rather than policing skills. The bomber is already in the Mid East or Turkey, if he's foreign, and lying low in Cambodia if Thai. No need to fear for his safety.

Edited August 20, 2015 by Dogmatix

[cmsally]

Seeing as the place has been hosed down and the shrine reopened, what exactly are they investigating? The area should have been cordoned off for a number of days if not weeks if they were serious about gathering evidence.

[steve654]

The one thing that just doesn't make any sense at all is how quick the scene was mopped up and opened again to the public.

There should have been team after team after team combing for any clue whatsoever to try and find as much as they possibly

could to piece it all together.

Edited August 20, 2015 by steve654

[streboris]

'Spoke in a foreign language, Not English' is meaningless really

Most people who learn English as a foreign language, but have never been to UK, learn from movies. In most movies English is with either an American accent or Cockney (london) accent.

A surprising number of people can't understand English if it is not spoken with American or London accent... I meet and work with a lot of people from different countries and they all have difficulty with my Manchester accent.

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[mojorison]

The one thing that just doesn't make any sense at all is how quick the scene was mopped up and opened again to the public.

Makes perfect sense.

[steve654]

The one thing that just doesn't make any sense at all is how quick the scene was mopped up and opened again to the public.

Makes perfect sense.

How so?

[mojorison]

At some point the righteous one will have to address the world media. This will be unavoidable. At this time he will need to make sure the i's are dotted and the tee's crossed. Otherwise he will be in a bit of a pickle.

[Fat Haggis]

Of course when London suffered a bombing in 7/7 the British police unlike the RTP had the case wrapped up within days and if you discount the police marksmen ( term used very loosely ) shooting an innocent Brazilian in the head several times from inches away and even managing to miss a couple of times they did a sterling job and as said the job was wrapped up without a hitch

A lot of people here on TV watch far too much crime TV where everything is sorted within minutes and the bad guys never get away with things

Get real people the RTP have a gargantuan job to do and are getting on with it.

Any suspect arrested in Thailand will not have an army of human rights lawyers making sure his precious human rights are not infringed in the slightest way so try to keep things in perspective people

I think you're also confusing members of the RTP with the TVF farangs who watch too much TV Crime thrillers.

You then highlight a case of mistaken identity that went horrendously wrong, and for which the Met took actions against the officers involved, and they admitted their short falling and shortcomings.

You do know that in cases where Terrorists/suspected Terrorists are thought to be armed, that you're taught to keep shooting till the target is down, and that the threat is completely taken care of and if that means 8-10 rounds then so be it? It's not like the movies where a single shot to the head or the torso works.. The Terrorists behind the Iranian Embassy siege in London in 1980 were shot more than a dozen times each, by more than one assault team operator?

[mojorison]

The one thing that just doesn't make any sense at all is how quick the scene was mopped up and opened again to the public.

Makes perfect sense.

How so?

complicity

[steve654]

At some point the righteous one will have to address the world media. This will be unavoidable. At this time he will need to make sure the i's are dotted and the tee's crossed. Otherwise he will be in a bit of a pickle.

What a terrible shame if that were to be true.

[Dogmatix]

Silence killings were myth invented by Thaksin in a crude attempt to cover up extrajudicial killings perpetrated by his police when he was in power.

[DisainaM]

ok, a thai lukkrüng could have all the genetic marks, of all the people on this planet,

so, this doesn`t help.

it`s also unclear, if the dementi of the second and third bomb at the shrine,

was true or not.

If the target was the destruction of the erawan shrine as a symbol of thailand,

I can understand, that general prayut thinks about redshirt and Thaksin.

But Thaksin would never destroy the erawan shrine.

The next question is, do we have a bomb with poor quality, Made in Thailand, with cheap materials ?

So, the typical foreign terrorist attack, would use for example "drone bombs", flying to "hard targets", to proof their lack of security.

Edited August 20, 2015 by DisainaM

[Spleen]

'Spoke in a foreign language, Not English' is meaningless really

Most people who learn English as a foreign language, but have never been to UK, learn from movies. In most movies English is with either an American accent or Cockney (london) accent.

A surprising number of people can't understand English if it is not spoken with American or London accent... I meet and work with a lot of people from different countries and they all have difficulty with my Manchester accent.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using

Let me tell you , that from work to phone banking to ordering a Pizza they do not underatand a Cockney accent

Edited August 20, 2015 by Spleen

[LawrenceN]

Very helpful graphic. The one thing I find confusing is in the description of his hair, there's a line that says, "Certainly might be a wig." (my translation). You have to agree with that. Anything "certainly" "might be" anything.

[lildragon]

The Koh Tao murders are currently tying to be swept under the carpet, the Siam BTS and Samui bomb investigations went precisely no where. This case however is a whole other ball game. The death toll of so many natives and foreigners means Prayuth HAS to act. A man comes in, drops off a bomb that murders 20 people and maims another 150 and then just walks off into the night? No dice, the world is watching General, no beating around the bush on this one.

[duckmandon]

For a terrorist group to do this it would have already made an announcement. So why have they not done so? Maybe someone internally with a grudge against foreigners. I think the RTP don't have a clue & require help but are to stupid to ask for it. The scene has been cleaned up now so its all going to brushed under the carpet until next time.

[firestar]

The Koh Tao murders are currently tying to be swept under the carpet, the Siam BTS and Samui bomb investigations went precisely no where. This case however is a whole other ball game. The death toll of so many natives and foreigners means Prayuth HAS to act. A man comes in, drops off a bomb that murders 20 people and maims another 150 and then just walks off into the night? No dice, the world is watching General, no beating around the bush on this one.

Round up a couple of poor sods wearing Man u shirts, the mainland equivalent of Burmese, plenty of "Thaksin did it... " innuendo, a bit of finger pointing, job done, we never hear form them again. Problem here is that even more than the Ko Tao murder the eyes of the world will be on the trial and they need something more substantial.

[firestar]

Police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri told reporters late on August 19 that the suspect was a foreign man, who was overheard speaking a foreign language. Police suspect he may be a Muslim from South or Central Asia, according to South China Morning Post coverage of the press conference:

Prawut also gave a description of the suspected ethnicity of the alleged bomber, using the Thai phrase “khaek khao” – a word often used to describe light-skinned Muslims from South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.

At midnight last night he's foreign, in the morning it's internal...what will it be in a few hours?

______________

Edited August 20, 2015 by firestar