Huge explosion rocks central Bangkok

[STEVE G]

"Prayuth, however, ruled out working with U.S. investigators, insisting Thais can do the job. "It won't be necessary to cooperate on the investigation with U.S. officers," Prayuth told reporters. "We need to help ourselves.""

No surprise there then ..... but WHAT A PLONKER!

I think they're wary of what someone else might find out, it's better from their point of view to be able to control the release of information in case it happens to have been instigated by any group that will cause them embarrassment.

[buksida]

Thai junta turning tragedy to farce
In the aftermath of the Bangkok bombing, all we’ve seen is an investigation characterised by inconsistency and incompetency.

As sympathetic as everyone must be towards the Thai and other victims of this week’s bombing at Bangkok’s Erawan shrine, we must also recognise that the Thai authorities’ response is turning a tragedy into a farce.

The host of contradictory statements emanating from police and, especially, from the erratic and incompetent dictator, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, suggest severe internal disarray, making it unclear whether the perpetrators will ever be caught.

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandal ... -to-farce/

[dtaai-maai]

http://www.smh.com.au/world/bangkok-bom ... j4ke0.html

Bangkok: While Thai authorities confound the world giving conflicting accounts and theories on who was responsible for this week's deadly Bangkok bombing, Thailand's Prime Minister says they should watch the American crime series Blue Bloods for leads.

"Police investigators, especially the national police chiefs, should watch this series," Prayuth Chan-ocha told journalists.
"They will get tips, ideas and insights into their case."

Blue Bloods is a police drama starring Tom Selleck that follows the exploits of the Irish-American Reagan family of police officers in the New York Police Department.

[Nereus]

Wow! I guess that writer is well out of Thailand, or he may find himself called in for "attitude adjustment"!

This should prove interesting under the current law:

For those of you living in Bangkok, the FCCT is organising a meeting on Monday evening, “The Bangkok Bombing: What Do We Really Know?”

[arcadianagain]

Why not call in CSI New York, they get everything solved in an hour

[hhfarang]

"The Bangkok Bombing Blame Game

Thailand's military junta has promised to restore stability and security, but the devastating attack in central Bangkok could provoke dangerous overreaction. ..."

https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/08/21/th ... ta-erawan/

And for you would be bounty hunters out there...

"Thailand Triples Reward For Information On Bombing Suspect"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tha ... ostpopular

[PeteC]

"...The second bombing suspect wearing blue shirt placed a plastic bag that contained an explosive device on the Sathorn Pier's Bridge before he kicked into the Chaopraya River. The time was 7:20 PM, which is about 25 minutes after the first bomb blasted at Erawan Shrine. This explosive device went off around 1 PM the next day. The time on CCTV is about 9 minutes slower than actual time.

Were you at Sathorn Bridge between 19:20 - 19:25 on August 17? The second bombing was using a speaker phone. Maybe you might be able to identify the language he spoke. Please, Thai Police or your local media....."

[dtaai-maai]

Every time they make an official statement, they manage to look more and more incompetent and self-serving.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 67216.html

INVESTIGATORS believe that the plotters behind the Erawan Shrine and Sathorn pier blasts might have relied on a foreign bomb-making technique, an informed source said.

"Such a technique did not exist in Thailand before. And our in-depth investigations reveal that foreigners of unknown nationality came to Thailand in 2011 to provide training on such a technique," the source said.

The suspected bomber wanted in connection with the bloody attack at the Erawan Shrine does not look Thai

[STEVE G]

Every time they make an official statement, they manage to look more and more incompetent and self-serving......

Clearly they are incompetent, the primary purpose of the military is to secure the nation and this has proved that they've failed in that, whoever planted it. If they can't even do the job they're paid for, why are they running the country?

[TicTac]

I especially liked the front page of the Bangkok Post today - the National Police Chief trawling the bars of Nana and trying to 'reassure' tourists that Bangkok is safe. And all the police in the background laughing and smiling. Surely they should be more concerned with getting the investigation done rather than being out in bars. But I think they've got no idea?

[DSB]

And it gets more embarrassing for Thailand:

Thai police say a lack of modern equipment is hampering investigations into last week's deadly blast at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok.

Progress appears to be slow in identifying and tracking down the sole suspect, a man in a yellow t-shirt captured on CCTV.
"The slowness of the investigation is not because the police lack capacity," national police chief Somyot Poompanmoungyot told reporters on Sunday, six days after the attack.
"But it's because we don't have the modern equipment that supports the work."

"We have difficulties with technology and data."
"We have to wait for co-operation from abroad, to come and help with this equipment," Mr Somyot said.

Both Australia and the UK have offered police help with the investigation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34032243

[Bristolian]

There is nothing embarrassing for an official to admit that they need help from better equipped or better trained Nations. The admission is commendable. Will Thailand seek support from foreign nations..... Recent history and distant history indicates...NO! Very Sad

[Frank Hovis]

Lack of modern equipment ... or lack of something else entirely?

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... section=11

64 million baht spent on 25 million baht worth of bomb detectors bought in 2013, switched on for the first time last Tuesday and only one in four worked.

KHAOSOD - A former lawmaker petitioned the parliament today to investigate why only one of its four bomb detectors works, despite spending 64 million baht on them.
Three of the four machines, which had been in storage since their purchase two years ago, failed to work when called into action the morning after Monday’s bomb attack...

...according to a 2010 report from Bloomberg Business News, which at the time listed the per unit price as $170,000, or 5.44 million baht at the rate of exchange at the time. That would be about one-third what Thailand paid but may not have included installation, training or other services.

“Only one scanner worked, out of the four that were bought,” Watchara said as he filed his letter of complaint to the parliament today. “The purchases of those machines were really expensive. They aren't worth the price.”

[PeteC]

Putting a face to some of those killed.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/photo/photo/ ... an-bombing

[caller]

Another bomb in Bkk, but this one safely defused:

http://news.sky.com/story/1540723/thai- ... loded-bomb