Seven Bombs Go Off In Bangkok - New Year Countdown Cancelled

[Pak Chong]

if it's not southerners than it's inside security services job - there is no political group in thailand in opposition to government which uses violence

Made me rolling around on the floor. Got another one?

You aren't by any chance related to Toxin, are you?

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36026

The Mukden Incident of September 18, 1931, also called the Manchurian Incident, occurred in southern Manchuria when a section of railroad, owned by Japan's South Manchuria Railway, near Mukden (today's Shenyang) was blown up by Japanese junior officers. Imperial Japan's military accused Chinese dissidents of the act, thus providing an excuse for the Japanese annexation of Manchuria.

The Gleiwitz incident was a staged attack on 31 August 1939 against the German radio station Sender Gleiwitz in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, Germany ( on the eve of World War II in Europe. This provocation was one of several actions in Operation Himmler, a Nazi Germany project to create the appearance of Polish aggression against Germany

Saddam Husseins attack on the World Trade Centre?? The invasion of Iraq?? JFK and the military-industrial complex??

Anything is possible but no-one knows, hence the discussion. and everyone enjoys a good conspiracy...........

Either way its the innocent who always get hurt.

[burnjr]

One tv news report seems to suggest that there were threats made to set off 30 bombs in and around Bangkok but this is unconfirmed.

brothers,

Sad to say....hope all victim get a past recover..

just come back from golden triangler and mea song lop..14days in thailand .

is nice country and people are very humble..

will visit thai went setuasion fine..

[gdhm]

Many people are speculating about motives and "what can be hoped to be gained" from such atrocities.

There is always the possibility that nothing is intended to be gained except for REVENGE by unknown persons who feel resentful or angry about something, maybe know they cannot do anything to change what their concerns are about, so the very nasty human trait of REVENGE, mixed with COWARDLY DEFIANCE is resorted to namely the bombing, killing and maiming of innocents.

Whatever the reasons or motives I feel for those families directly affected by these atrocities and ALSO for those who now have heightened fear levels in their lives.

Dave

[sanook mai?]

I hate to say it, but I am not surprised. I chose to stay in during the festivities! since I did not want to be another victim (I was a victim at the Hat Yai bombings last September.)

It seems that LOS is no longer safe.

My condolences to the famillies of the departed and the victims.

[Brutiniero]

I got Information that the police caught a Muslim suspect.

I am quite shocked because this would be the last I would like to believe.

Can anybody confirm that

[JacknDanny]

No need for ANY speculation now...That would be paranoid,to belive someone else did it...Muslims and nobody else...Not first time but not the last one...That is for sure and to think someone else do that just to put the blame on muslims - would be childish...It is more then clear what they are trying to make here in Thailand and same old story as it ever was... but i hope Thai will handle all ,before all be out of control...This is against Thai nation and this is try to start some kind of war here.This is introduction in something bigger but we will see response of Thai Gov. now.Too long this peoblems are going on...This is abusing of Thai kindness to the muslims...Obviously...

...What for you are interested for time?Do you have ANY doubts about how much THEY are mean(muslims)bad?This question is just about your curiousity?... ...i just HOPE in this question is no any doubt...We all know how bad muslims are,what they want to make in Thailand and this is not first time they do but not the last time-that is for sure and i just have a hope Thai will handle all-before all be out of control...As in many countries happened...Mikey

Is it me?? Does anyone understand this post or is my hangover worse than I thought?

[cdnvic]

Is it me?? Does anyone understand this post or is my hangover worse than I thought?

I'm sure it made sense to the author before the Chang wore off.

[LaoPo]

Bombings blasts map Bangkok:

source: BBC website

LP

[stepenwolf1958]

Is it me?? Does anyone understand this post or is my hangover worse than I thought?

yes,that is about your hangover...lol...why you would hear any sound on ONE MILE away from place,in town as BKK is,so loud?So,no need to ask anything as you did it...regards...mikey...

[stepenwolf1958]

Many people are speculating about motives and "what can be hoped to be gained" from such atrocities.

There is always the possibility that nothing is intended to be gained except for REVENGE by unknown persons who feel resentful or angry about something, maybe know they cannot do anything to change what their concerns are about, so the very nasty human trait of REVENGE, mixed with COWARDLY DEFIANCE is resorted to namely the bombing, killing and maiming of innocents.

Whatever the reasons or motives I feel for those families directly affected by these atrocities and ALSO for those who now have heightened fear levels in their lives.

Dave

It would be nice...But,please...don't be so naive...ok?this is so clear...Mikey

[dantilley]

Is it me?? Does anyone understand this post or is my hangover worse than I thought?

No, I'm with you on that one, none of this guy's posts make any sense to me either!

[sensei]

Bombings blasts map Bangkok:

source: BBC website

LP

thanks LaoPo for the map, it makes better sense to me now.

now i have a clearer view of what happened where...

most of the bombs were in a tight cluster

i wonder why the one in Kae Lai is a little off the mark?

[Jet Gorgon]

Has HRH King Bumiphol issued any statements? I am sure this horror is the last thing he wants or needs.

[sensei]

Is it me?? Does anyone understand this post or is my hangover worse than I thought?

No, I'm with you on that one, none of this guy's posts make any sense to me either!

Count me in...

[dog412]

What a sad ending to the year - at least the casualty numbers seem fairly low but it must be devastating for those affected.

I find trying to fathom who did this and why very confusing, particularly given the targets chosen, but maybe I'm assuming they possess more rationality and intelligence than they actually do. I hope we never hear of their like again. I know people make the throwaway comment TiT to a lot of subjects on these boards. To me 'this is not thailand' and I hope it never is.

Personally the wife and I are staying in tonight - happy new year to everyone and I hope 2007 proves much more promising for LOS than 2006.

Lucky

agreed, this is the most unTHAI situation that i could imagine. may the perpetrator's be found out swiftly, and dealt with severely.

[asd]

1. Old power ( Thaksin supporters ) 60%

or

2. Southern separatists 40%

Bangkok bomb death toll rises to three

The death toll of bomb explosions in Bangkok on New Year Eve rose to three when another victim died during a surgery Monday morning.

Ekkachai Ruangpoom, 26, died at the King Mongkut Hospital during an operation.

EKkachai was injured by an explosion at the Victory Monument.

The Nation

Edited January 1, 2007 by asd

[Jet Gorgon]

Excerpt from Al Jazeera website report on the BKK bombings:

The police have not yet said who had set off the bombs and no group has so far claimed responsibility.

Members of Thailand's Muslim minority are fighting a campaign for a separate Islamic state.

In recent months they have killed several Buddhist teachers, monks and bystanders in mainly Muslim areas of southern Thailand.

More than 1,400 people have been killed in the conflict since fighting began in January 2004.

[onethailand]

"Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont declared that the bombings in Bangkok were the work of an as yet unknown group dissatisfied with the current political situation in Thailand. He added that the chance of the bombings being related to the unrest in southern Thailand was very small."

Just repeating here for clarity as most people are watching the other thread now. This is my translation of an excerpt from a live broadcast just past noon.

[Tolley]

I can't see that the TRT or those associated with Thaksin would have anything to gain by these bombings in Bangkok.

The most likely scenario is that those responsible are muslim insurgents from the south of Thailand.

Of course we don't know what is going on behind the scenes in Thailand with this military dictatorship so there may be other parties involved who feel they would have something to gain from such action but it really goes against the grain for other political groups to engage in such behaviour.

Unfortunately whoever is responsible has just made Thailand a little bit more insecure. Hopefully this is not the start of a long campaign of random bombings in the more popular tourist places in Thailand.

[george]

Porntip says Bangkok bombs different from southern explosives

Khunying Porntip Rojanasunant, acting director of the Forensic Science Institute, said explosives used in Bangkok bombs were different from those used by Islamic insurgents in the deep South.

The Nation 2007-01-01

[onethailand]

While I don't want to speculate on who is behind the bombings, I thought that there should be some other points raised:

1. Gen. Sonthi is himself a Muslim. It is to be expected that he would have good sources of information in the South - and thus something like this probably would not have escaped his attention had it been planned by separatists.

2. On iTV, a number of points were raised which did not necessarily fit in with the idea of separatists being behind the bombings. Amongst them:

* The types of bombs used were not typical of those being used in the South

* The locations of the explosions were well scattered and unlikely to be easily known to separatists coming from the South without some significant reconnaisance in advance

* There would have been much more damage had the separatists been behind the bombings

* Had the separatists wanted to make a point in Bangkok (which they have never done) there would have been plenty of other incidents in the past

Other points (my personal opinion):

* At least two of the locations - Sukhumvit 62 and Seacon Square - are in or near heavily Muslim areas. I think it highly unlikely that they would have chosen these locations.

* Had the separatists wanted to make a point, they would likely have chosen locations of more significance, particularly to Buddhists. Note that no temples, or Sanam Luang, were affected by the explosions. Nor were any of the shopping centers frequented by the upper class targeted.

* Perhaps most signifcant, considering the main area targeted - there would have been a heavy concentration of people around the Erawan Shrine, a major focus of Buddhists both inside and outside Thailand. No activity took place in that area.

Just some of my thoughts, along with what I have been hearing.

[asd]

1. Old power ( Thaksin supporters ) 60%

or

2. Southern separatists 40%

-------------------------------------------------------------

Anti-coup groups may behind the bomb blasts in BKK

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont indicated domestic politics, particularly anti-coup groups, rather than the Muslim insurgency was behind the multiple bomb attacks on the New Year's eve.

A man injured from bomb attack was pronounced dead on Monday succummed to dead on Monday, becoming the third victim of the attacks..

Surayud did not identify ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra or his allies as possible culprits, saying anyone who lost power as a result of the military takeover could be to blame.

The eight bombs that exploded across Bangkok on New Year's Eve and early Monday also wounded 38 people, including nine foreigners.

"Based on the government's information and intelligence agencies, it was the work of people who lost power, but I cannot clearly say which group was behind it," he told reporters.

He was speaking after meeting chiefs of security organisations.

"The perpetrators wanted to have a political impact and make Thai people feel political instability," he said.

The blasts that rocked the capital that was gearing up to celebrate the new year forced the cancellation of New Year's celebrations in Bangkok and other major cities.

Surayud said he did not think the blasts were linked to the insurgency in the south, despite similarities between the blasts and the near-daily attacks in the region.

"It is very unlikely that it was linked to the southern violence, because it is much easier for the insurgents to mount an attack in the three southern provinces" than to target Bangkok, he said.

The Nation

[asd]

1. Old power ( Thaksin supporters ) 60%

or

2. Southern separatists 40%

--------------------------------------------------------------

A passenger stands near a bus stop at the Victory Monument, that was damaged by a bomb attack on the New Year's eve Sunday. A garland was placed there in memory of a passenger that was killed in the attack.

One bomb victim at Rajvithi Hospital remains in critical situation

A doctor said a bomb victim, who was admitted to the Rajvithi Hospital, remained in critical situation Monday.

Doctor Thawee Ratanachu-ek said Samruay Sidao, 37, remained in the intensivecare unit.

He said doctors performed a surgery to re-attach his main vein in the right arm. The vein was cut by a bomb shrapnel.

Thawee said the right arm might not function fully after it heals.

The Nation

[londonthai]

looks from the pictures that all forensic evidence was just sweeped away and removed - and I think it was disposed rather than moved to the laboratory. That way we might never know the truth about the bombings.

The correct procedure would be to cordon off the immediate area of explosion and allow experts to gather the evidence - the whole process taking days or even weeks.

[sensei]

looks from the pictures that all forensic evidence was just sweeped away and removed - and I think it was disposed rather than moved to the laboratory. That way we might never know the truth about the bombings.

The correct procedure would be to cordon off the immediate area of explosion and allow experts to gather the evidence - the whole process taking days or even weeks.

swept clean indeed. was that done on purpose or they just didn't know how much they could find out from all that stuff?

[Who, me ?]

looks from the pictures that all forensic evidence was just sweeped away and removed - and I think it was disposed rather than moved to the laboratory. That way we might never know the truth about the bombings.

The correct procedure would be to cordon off the immediate area of explosion and allow experts to gather the evidence - the whole process taking days or even weeks.

swept clean indeed. was that done on purpose or they just didn't know how much they could find out from all that stuff?

Does anyone mean that sweaping has been done to remove possible evidences...intentionally ??? So...? What would that mean ?

[onethailand]

looks from the pictures that all forensic evidence was just sweeped away and removed - and I think it was disposed rather than moved to the laboratory. That way we might never know the truth about the bombings.

The correct procedure would be to cordon off the immediate area of explosion and allow experts to gather the evidence - the whole process taking days or even weeks.

The area around the Victory Monument was definitely cordoned off, carefully marked, photographed, and forensic evidence gathered and tagged during the hours which followed the blast.

Don't know about the other sites though but the police were reporting that they were studying evidence from many sites so it appears that they did the same thing in other locations. Khunying Pornthip was also seen at a number of the sites and I highly doubt she would have let anything of significance be destroyed or swept up.

Agree with you except on the part of upper class frequented shopping center. Central World and especially Gaysorn definitely are, and explosions around midnight were all around there.

Allow me to clarify. I meant *in* shopping centers. All of the bombings in the Central World area were outside. More notably, Central Chidlom, Paragon and Emporium, arguably the three most popular upper-class shopping centers, were not affected at all.

Edited January 1, 2007 by onethailand

[Who, me ?]

looks from the pictures that all forensic evidence was just sweeped away and removed - and I think it was disposed rather than moved to the laboratory. That way we might never know the truth about the bombings.

The correct procedure would be to cordon off the immediate area of explosion and allow experts to gather the evidence - the whole process taking days or even weeks.

The area around the Victory Monument was definitely cordoned off, carefully marked, photographed, and forensic evidence gathered and tagged during the hours which followed the blast.

Don't know about the other sites though but the police were reporting that they were studying evidence from many sites so it appears that they did the same thing in other locations. Khunying Pornthip was also seen at a number of the sites and I highly doubt she would have let anything of significance be destroyed or swept up.

Agree with you except on the part of upper class frequented shopping center. Central World and especially Gaysorn definitely are, and explosions around midnight were all around there.

Allow me to clarify. I meant *in* shopping centers. All of the bombings in the Central World area were outside. More notably, Central Chidlom, Paragon and Emporium, arguably the three most popular upper-class shopping centers, were not affected at all.

I agree...it seems impossible not to collect and study evidences...I can not imagine a sweeping before tight examination....

[qualtrough]

looks from the pictures that all forensic evidence was just sweeped away and removed - and I think it was disposed rather than moved to the laboratory. That way we might never know the truth about the bombings.

The correct procedure would be to cordon off the immediate area of explosion and allow experts to gather the evidence - the whole process taking days or even weeks.

Not sure what pictures you are referring to, but last night on ITV they showed officials spray painting circles around shapnel locations and others gathering and examining similar evidence.

Edited January 1, 2007 by qualtrough

[lookchin]

Does anyone know anything about the poor farang who got hit and had to have his leg amputated? I am so confused with all of this information from varying sources?

Lookchin