PM Prayut on hospital bomb: We didn’t do it

[webfact]

PM on bomb: We didn’t do it

By WASAMON AUDJARINT
THE NATION

 

Security is tightened at Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok yesterday following the bomb attack on Monday.

 

First army region chief Apirat ready to hunt suspects but police have ‘no clues’

 

BANGKOK: -- WHILE the prime minister and relevant agencies appear to have no idea who planted the bomb at Phramongkutklao Hospital on Monday, First Army Area chief Lt-General Apirat Kongsompong said a unit under his command was ready to hunt the culprits down.

 

“We are ready but our superiors always insist that we should not take any action against any group without clear evidence,” Apirat said yesterday, adding that the suspects “in his mind” were probably both inside and outside the Kingdom.

 

Police struggled yesterday to pinpoint suspects, with authorities saying they did not have a clue so far to indicate any particular group. 

 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday the hospital bomb, which injured 25 people, was unlikely to be linked to the junta’s third anniversary on the same day.

 

“We’ll have to wait for investigation results,” Prayut said after the Cabinet meeting. “[But] I don’t think this will be related to our anniversary and we won’t make a big deal about that assumption. Otherwise, we’ll be affected a lot.”

 

He also played down the fact that the bombing occurred in a room named after his right-hand man, Deputy PM and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan. 

 

“I don’t take it as a challenge or anything. Everything will have to be dealt with by the law,” he said.

 

The First Army Region, which oversees security in the capital, has stepped up measures to ensure public safety after three small bombs were detonated in Bangkok since early last month.

 

Another 200 closed-circuit cameras were installed across the capital and extra officials were patrolling in collaboration with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Apirat said. 

 

Security checkpoints will be set up at 27 locations in the capital to operate 24 hours a day in response to the blast, deputy national police chief Pol General Chalermkiat Srivorakan said.

 

Meanwhile, Athikom Intuputi, secretary-general of the Office of Judiciary, said safety measures at Ratchadapisek Court compound had been strengthened following the hospital attack. Cars entering and exiting the compound would be checked, he said.

 

Authorities also said surveillance cameras were a problem at Phramongkutklao Hospital, as they were often out of order. Of 13 cameras inside the hospital, nine are broken. And police said it was unclear how many of the 64 CCTV cameras in the medical compound work properly.

 

The prime minister said he had ordered a serious investigation into the state of CCTV cameras at the scene, but revealed little about the junta’s thoughts on the incident. “If you want to know what the objectives of the bombing were, you’ll have to ask the perpetrators,” he said.

 

In response to speculation that the junta may have been behind the blast, Prayut said junta leaders would never commit such an act. The incident was “unforgivable” and “severely breached human rights”, the premier said.

 

“How could any government be that crazy to do this kind of thing? Except for some [people] who want to be in the government and could think of doing it.”

He added that a bomb at the hospital was unexpected. “Security forces have kept up with evaluating the situation and intelligence. Still, who would anticipate that this would occur at the hospital? Well, those bad people do,” he said.

 

The pipe bomb was a homemade device detonated by an integrated-circuit timer. Planted in a vase, it was relatively small, with only one pound of explosive. The bomber must have known the location well – he or she might have mingled with patients to place the bomb at around 8am on Monday when the hospital opened for regular service, an official on the investigation team said. 

 

Police said they were reviewing pictures in news reports that showed three men sitting near the vase in which the bomb was hidden. 

 

Police believed the men were |closest to the bomb and may be among the injured, deputy national |police chief Pol General Srivara Rangsibhramanakul said. 

 

Meanwhile, on the third anniversary of the junta taking power on Monday, Prayut refused to spell out exactly when an election would be held, only saying authorities would follow the “roadmap to democracy”. 

 

“The country must be at a peaceful stage … whether an election will happen depends on you people,” he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30316106

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-24

[Reigntax]

That he feels the need to deny involvement is evidence he knows the military has failed in every objective except to hold power by force.

[davehowden]

" with authorities saying they did not have a clue ".

 

Never a truer word spoken

[anon4546543]

sigh

[Somtamnication]

Strange thing to deny. Oops!

[AGareth2]

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

In response to speculation that the junta may have been behind the blast, Prayut said junta leaders would never commit such an act. The incident was “unforgivable” and “severely breached human rights”, the premier said.

coming from an individual who is such a strong supporter of Human Rights

[wakeupplease]

Pt said  leaders would never commit such an

 

I am not so sure are you???

[Get Real]

It will get better.....??? ....hmmmm? I say we pray, just to make it today!

[Thailand]

Were the CCTV cameras bought in a job lot with the bomb sniffing equipment?

 

Hope the submarines and rocket launchers are more efficient.

 

[colinneil]

We are ready, but our superiors say, we will not allow you to search Government house.

[Dobredin Ghusputin]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Police said they were reviewing pictures in news reports

 

Look for confessions hidden in letters to the editor. Might find some clues there.

 

[ezzra]

Lets face it people, we live in the age of indiscriminate bombing and

intended  for carnage and mayhem, and not much any government, army

or police to stop a lone wolf type attacks, just to minimize as much

as possible and pray that you're not the one to be the unlucky sod

when one of those goes boom....

[soalbundy]

4 hours ago, Reigntax said:

That he feels the need to deny involvement is evidence he knows the military has failed in every objective except to hold power by force.

My thoughts exactly, it shows how weak his moral hold on power is, still it's always a good excuse to put off the elections, the country must be at peace first he said, it obviously isn't and if you aren't convinced well there maybe another one going off soon.

[yellowboat]

Goodness, this junta loves to think out loud.  Perhaps they should stop talking, as they say they know nothing.

 

Those who know don't talk.  Those who talk don't know.  Lao Tzu. 

[mrmicbkktxl]

They probably did it,so have another reason to postpone any elections

[Eric Loh]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

In response to speculation that the junta may have been behind the blast, Prayut said junta leaders would never commit such an act. The incident was “unforgivable” and “severely breached human rights”, the premier said.

The victims of the 1973 students uprising, 1976 Thammasat University, 1992 Black May, 2004 Krue Se Mosque, Tak Bai and 2010 crackdown disagree.   

[mikebell]

'suspects “in his mind” were probably both inside and outside the Kingdom.' Well that narrows it down a bit.

9 of 13 CCTV cameras not working!  Sums up Thailand's attitude to maintenance of everything!

[biggles45]

"Another 200 closed-circuit cameras were installed across the capital"

 

100 were actually fakes, the money was pocketed. 53 have stopped working already and of the remaining 47, 21 are pointing the wrong way !! 

[robblok]

6 hours ago, Reigntax said:

That he feels the need to deny involvement is evidence he knows the military has failed in every objective except to hold power by force.

Reason he has to deny is is because even on this forum people are saying its a false flag operation. Without any proof i might ad I could as well say it was Thaksin and it would hold as much weight. (none at all). There is no evidence yet pointing in any real direction but people love to speculate so he has to deny it. 

[KhunBENQ]

From today's headlines/news.

 

"We didn't do it."

 

"continued bombings in Bangkok could force him to delay elections so he can restore law and order."

 

May sound cynical, but:

Why don't the culprits build "real bombs" that kill people and make it to the international headlines? Why don't they bomb tourist hot-spots in the midst of "happy hour" but at a purely Thai peoples gathering?

Always assuming the bombs are planted by the "bad boys".

The recent incidents made little or no headlines worldwide just national news and justifying the continual of military rule.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 hours ago, Dobredin Ghusputin said:

 

Look for confessions hidden in letters to the editor. Might find some clues there.

 

 

I'm struggling to understand how they can say they have "no clue" (yes, I understand they are "clueless") when one of the other news reports out this morning says another hospital near Pramongkutlao supposedly received a letter several days before the bombing that said SEVERAL hospitals in the area would be targeted for bombings by Muslim insurgents.

 

Quote

 

Deputy police commissioner Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, who has been put in charge of the investigation, also said an anonymous person sent Phramongkutklao Hospital a letter warning of a bomb attack three days before the incident.
 

Although Gen. Srivara did not disclose details of the letter, police sources told the media it was sent to the director of the National Cancer Institute, located close to Phramongkutklao Hospital, warning of “terror attacks” at three unspecified hospitals in the area.
 

“Within this year there will be terror attacks inside three public hospitals in the area by the BRN and [Islamic State] movements. They entered the country through Malaysia last week. Watch out for Muslim women wearing veils and backpacks,” the letter reportedly said. It was signed “a repentant criminal.”
 

The Barisan Revolusi Nasional, or BRN, is the name of a separatist movement in Thailand’s Muslim-majority southern provinces which is said to have carried out other high-profile bombing campaigns.

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/05/24/civilian-military-trials-may-resume-bombing/

Edited May 24, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[Reigntax]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Reason he has to deny is is because even on this forum people are saying its a false flag operation. Without any proof i might ad I could as well say it was Thaksin and it would hold as much weight. (none at all). There is no evidence yet pointing in any real direction but people love to speculate so he has to deny it. 

 

I didnt see the British PM having to deny involvement. Yes you could say it was Thaksin just as the junta are stating today is is political and both are wrong. There is only one group who relies on instability to justify their existence.

[pattayadgw]

'I didn't do it your honor'

[soalbundy]

2 minutes ago, pattayadgw said:

'I didn't do it your honor'

I didn't know she was under age at the time......What ? Oh the bomb, no i didn't do that either

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed.  This is not about the bombing in Manchester. 

[Thechook]

Have they found out who took the plaque yet

[jybkk]

6 hours ago, robblok said:

Reason he has to deny is is because even on this forum people are saying its a false flag operation. Without any proof i might ad I could as well say it was Thaksin and it would hold as much weight. (none at all). There is no evidence yet pointing in any real direction but people love to speculate so he has to deny it. 

You're right that there's no evidence.

But the speculation isn't totally baseless. The only consequence of these bombings so far has been the announcement by the government that these events will delay the promised elections. You must admit it's a bit odd. France or Germany didn't delay their elections despite being hit by much more damaging terrorist attacks. In which way these 'small bombs' -- who seem to be planted in a way greatly minimizing potential casualties -- are a threat to the elections?

These bombs seem to be pretty convenient for the junta. 

[CantSpell]

7 hours ago, mikebell said:

'suspects “in his mind” were probably both inside and outside the Kingdom.' Well that narrows it down a bit.

9 of 13 CCTV cameras not working!  Sums up Thailand's attitude to maintenance of everything!

Seems the CCTV in this country have a mind of their own... They keep "stop working" in areas where big things happen... 

[GarryP]

4 minutes ago, jybkk said:

You're right that there's no evidence.

But the speculation isn't totally baseless. The only consequence of these bombings so far has been the announcement by the government that these events will delay the promised elections. You must admit it's a bit odd. France or Germany didn't delay their elections despite being hit by much more damaging terrorist attacks. In which way these 'small bombs' -- who seem to be planted in a way greatly minimizing potential casualties -- are a threat to the elections?

These bombs seem to be pretty convenient for the junta. 

Prayuth went on to explain, "Ah, but you don't understand Thailand. Thailand is different from the west. You cannot raise those examples as they are different countries and not the same as Thailand.  We do things differently here."

[YetAnother]

i stopped believing govt speech here quite a bit ago; is still entertaining in negative ways