Bombs At Erawan Shrine In Bangkok Intended For Tourists, Says Thai Government

[Abroad]

A Northern Ireland woman holidaying close to where a bomb exploded in Thailand killing at least 19 people has described the scene as "chaotic".

More than 80 people were injured in the blast, close to the Erawan Shrine in the country's capital, Bangkok.

BBC NI employee Mairead Campbell, from Belfast, visited the religious shrine on Saturday.

She said she and her friends had decided to stay in their hotel on Monday rather than go outside.

She said her hotel was "very close to where the bomb went off".

"We heard a bang and went down to reception, where we were told not to leave," Ms Campbell added.

"We followed that advice - but an hour or two later we nipped outside.

A second bomb has been found in the area and made safe, officials say. No-one has yet said they carried out the attack.

The shrine is a major tourist attraction and the Thai government said the attack was aimed at foreigners.

Local media reported that tourists, including Chinese, are among the casualties.

The Bangkok Post said there were twin blasts - one from a motorcycle bomb and the other from a device fixed to an electricity pole. It quoted police as saying 5kg of TNT was used and that an electronic circuit suspected to have been used in the attack was found 30 metres from the scene.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-33965391

 

[Abroad]

A bomb has exploded close to a shrine in the centre of Thailand's capital, Bangkok, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 120.

The Erawan Shrine, which was crowded at the time, is a major tourist attraction and foreigners, including Chinese, are among the casualties.

No-one has yet said they carried out the attack.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said the bombers had "targeted foreigners... to damage tourism and the economy".

"We will hunt them down," he said.

The shrine is dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma, but is also visited by thousands of Buddhists each day. There are also three major shopping centres nearby.

The explosion was on the Ratchaprasong intersection, which has been the centre of political demonstrations in recent years.

Our correspondent, Jonathan Head, says bomb attacks in Bangkok are extremely rare.

There has been a Muslim insurgency, but this has been largely confined to the south of the country and attacks rarely take place elsewhere.

But Bangkok has seen a decade of sometimes violent rivalry between political factions.

The military took over ruling the country in May last year, removing an elected government following months of unrest. The capital has been relatively calm since then.

Analysts say one flashpoint could be within the military government itself. The annual promotion list is due out next month and it is thought to be a source of tension among the various cliques.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-33963280

 

[Abroad]

Police in Bangkok say they have arrested a man in connection with a bomb that killed 20 people in the Thai capital nearly two weeks ago.

The man, a foreigner, was arrested in Nong Jok on the outskirts of Bangkok, a police spokesman said.

Bomb-making materials were found at the apartment along with 10 passports, said the spokesman, Prawut Thavornsiri.

Photos handed out by the police show a man with short dark hair and a beard and wearing a yellow shirt and trousers sitting handcuffed at the house.

But he may not be the prime suspect who was seen on security camera leaving a backpack at the busy shrine shortly before deadly the blast earlier this month.

Police said at the time of the attack that they suspected it had been planned a month or more in advance and involved at least 10 people.

A reward of one million Thai baht ($28,000; £17,950) has been offered for information but it is not known whether this played a part in Saturday's arrest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-34095603