Bomb attack in Bangkok

[STEVE G]

Seven Bombs Kill Three in Bangkok

Seven explosives went off almost simultaneously in Bangkok, killing three and injuring at least 20 people, as the revellers were about to start celebrating the New Year's eve.


Two people were killed and 20 injured at the Victory Monument when a powerful bomb went off near a bus station at about 6.30 pm. The bomb ripped through the bus stops, shattered windows at the nearby restaurant and sending debris in all directions.

At least one person was killed near the Klong Toei area near the Na Ranong intersection, around the same time, a bomb hidden in a trash can near a Chinese spirit shrine exploded and injured three pedestrians. The explosion caused a secondary explosion to a number of cookinggas cylinders that were situated nearby.

One person was seriously injured near the Big C supermarket at the Sapan Kwai branch where witnesses saw a man dropped a grenade from a pedestrian bridge onto the police box. Residue of C4 and TNT were found at the scene, an iTV reporter said, quoting an unnamed military source.

At the Seacon Square Shopping Mall, a loud explosion went off at the parking space, creating a panic but no injury. Authorities ordered all shoppers, about 10,000 at the time, to evacuate the mall, one of Bangkok largest, and all shops to close down for business.

A police box at the entrance of Sukhumvit Road, Soi 62 was also hit with a bomb. No injury was reported.

Another police box was hit near the Khae Rai intersection in Nonthaburi province just north of Bangkok with a bomb but not injury reported said Police spokesman Pol General Ajiravid Subarnbhesaj said.

A bomb went off in the compound of the Tesco Lotus Supermarket at the Prachachuen branch.

Soldiers were dispatched to some of the sites where the bombs went off, while other major shopping complex, including the Central Chidlom and Siam Paragon department stores, closed its door earlier.

Deputy Governor of Bangkok, Wallop Suwandee, announced that all the events designated for the New Year's even countdown celebration have been cancelled.

Government's spokesman Yongyuth Malyalarp urged the public to remain calm, adding that police officers have been instructed to stay on high alert, including areas where high concentration of people are expected to take part in the New Year's count down.

"Police reinforcement have been sent to various areas in the city. We urged the public to remain calm, continue with the celebration but at the same time keep a look out for any irregularities," Yongyuth said.



The Nation

[STEVE G]

Old power clique suspected of being behind Bangkok bomb attacks: source


A security source at the Government House said the old power clique was behind the simultaneous bomb attacks in Bangkok.

The source from an intelligence agency said the intelligence agencies had learnt about the plan of the old clique to create disturbance toward the yearend.

The source said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont was on the standby in Bangkok because he expected the attacks.

The Nation

[STEVE G]

BBC:
Two Britons are being treated in hospital after they were caught up in one of the bomb explosions that has hit Bangkok, the Foreign Office has said.
An FCO spokesman said it had been told by local police in the Thai capital that the two were undergoing treatment.

British Embassy staff were now on their way to the hospital to see them, the spokesman added.

The FCO had earlier warned Britons in Thailand not to travel around Bangkok "unless absolutely necessary".

The spokesman said it was believed the Britons were being treated at the police hospital in Rajamdamri.

[STEVE G]

At 11:59 Bangkok time, another two bombs detonated near Bangkok's city center directly at the largest New Year’s count down which was cancelled hours earlier. The first bomb exploded at Klong San Saeb pier, close to Central World Plaza injuring 2 English, 2 Serbian, 1 American, 1 Irish, and 1 Thai. The bomb was hidden in a tire fender directly at the pier.

Thai news channels have contradicting reports, one saying a second bomb exploded at the Arnoma hotel injuring no one, while the other is stating that it was found by police in time.

Also, another bomb was reported detonating at 12:34 Bangkok time injuring 1 person at Central World Plaza.

[sargeant]

Steve g thanks for the immediate info i have now had my 2 thai language newspapers read to me and all is still sketchy except the government and media are blaming Mr T and TRT
Something doesnt sound right to me

I have been expecting somebody on this forum since 26th dec boxing day to report what i saw and heard on ABC australia tv and it hasnt come, it hasnt been in the news here either but Mr Ts lawyer said he was coming back in January 2007 to defend himself i watched his lips move and heard the sounds come out

Last nights incidents just dont gel with that statement Why do it and then come back???

I have a bad feeling about this we need more water under the bridge but i hope it isnt what i am thinking

The gov have been warning of this for some time but still all 7 bombs went off

Incompetence???
TRT did set them and are very competent????
TRT set them but have splinterd left hand right hand????
The authorities let it go ahead for political gain????
The authorities set them themselves for political gain??????
The opposition set them to blame TRT and stop Mr Ts return????

Just my way of assessing things militarily i hope people are sensible enough to demand proof before jumping on a bandwagon stop and question first

Whichever or whatever the true story which we may or may not ever learn it is not good for Thailand none of the possible scenarios is good for anyone and this could get a lot worse before it gets better

Sad bluddy sad

[The understudy]

Yeah Thanks to steve G we all have the lowdown incidnets that happen last night.
Sarge you say the Government and media are blaming TRT nad Mr. T for them blasts last night? This doesn't sound right for me either.

in my opinion it has to be something much more deeper than this the Govtt. and media just want to find someto blmae and gicve the initial fault. This plays directly inot the hands of the opposition who wants the TRT party dissolved.
On the otherhand it could be the other side of the millitary that wants Mr.T back and want to challenge the current interim Government.

All of this have not been proven but as you stated deadly right Sargeant tit might be getting worse before it gets better.

[Rider]

I very much doubt the TRT has anything to do with the bomb attacks in the Capitol!

This is the work of forces who wish to damage thailand economically! With tourists being injured there will some impact on tourism.
This is the first time tourists have ever been targeted in Bangkok since I can remember.
Now the bomb attacks have shifted further north than the troubles down south it seems the new year has ushered in a new age of bombing that could get worse!

[sargeant]

Unfortunately my Northern Ireland IRA UVF experience does not allow me to rule out any of the scenarios and all of them are bad
Understudy, Rider the interview i saw on Aus TV could have been a replay which is why i never posted it boxng day i dont think it was, but IHMO it would be sheer lunacy to bomb BKK TRT must have known he would be blamed for it. My problem is if (small word huge meaning) TRT has splintered god only knows where this is going to end up
Question what do the opposition gain other than to blame TRT and mr T a typical tactic and win win for them
question What does the interim govt gain They keep mrt from thailand and extend their time in office on the grounds of instability perhaps
If mr Ts lawyer was correct that he was intending to return in january the least likley scenario is an intact TRT did it Please note i only say the least i still dont write it out it could be a double bluff
What i will say as a Royal engineer explosives man 22 years 7 bombs all successfull
takes some fair degree of training this attack has been in the oven for a fair while we can therefore expect more of them
I would expect that if it has anything to do with the south there will be a claim for it

If i was a betting man my money would be on the opposition the same as my neighbours but only each way i saw it so many times in belfast

This will have an effect on not just tourism, property is gonna take a big hit for sure

On another thread i said 2007 would be an interesting year even if nothing happens that scenario just crumbled to dust

[STEVE G]

The two British citizens injured last night were Alistair Graham, 48 who was discharged from hospital after treatment and Paul Hewitt, 55 who remained in hospital, but is not in a serious condition.

[PeteC]

From another forum. The US Embassy response and, my response. Pete
______________________

From: Bangkok ACS
> Date: Jan 1, 2007 12:09 PM
> Subject: Updated Warden Message from US Embassy Bangkok
> To: undisclosed-recipients
>
> A series of bombs exploded Sunday evening December 31, 2006, and
Monday
> morning, January 1, 2007 in several locations in the Bangkok
metropolitan
> area. The explosions killed two persons and caused numerous
injuries. The
> US Embassy has confirmed that no American citizens were injured or
killed in
> the explosions.
>
> The Department of State and the American Embassy in Bangkok urge
all
> American citizens in Bangkok to stay indoors whenever possible, to
avoid all
> public gatherings, and to remain extra vigilant as they travel in
and around
> Bangkok. Please monitor local news channels or CNN for further
information.

_________________________

You know, I'm very freakin' sorry but they can take their 'boiler
plate' warnings and shove them up their ass. They do this all the
time and unfortunately some poor sod and his family here on vacation
will now hole up in their hotel for the next week or more, because
they BELIEVE what they've been told. Horseshit. Below also seems the
US Government has an advertising contract with CNN?

I know, they have to say 'something' or they could be blamed
negligent if something additional occurs. However, I feel sorry for
folks who follow their instructions. Pete

[Guess]

Well said Pete,

I have just made a reply to this thread and got this message. The URLs are both news media addresses.


In order to try to prevent spammers, we do not allow our users to post URLs in any form until they have posted at least 10 legitimate posts and have been with us for more than 7 days. We appreciate your understanding in this matter in order to help us eliminate spam from this forum. If you have somehow gotten this message even though you meet both of the criteria, please let us know ASAP.

Thanks!

FORGET THIS. IT LOOKS LIKE THE LOGOUT AFTER INACTIVITY FUNCTION THAT I REQUESTED CAME INTO PLAY.

[Guess]

government and media are blaming Mr T and TRT
Something doesnt sound right to me

I have been expecting somebody on this forum since 26th dec boxing day to report what i saw and heard on ABC australia tv and it hasnt come, it hasnt been in the news here either but Mr Ts lawyer said he was coming back in January 2007 to defend himself i watched his lips move and heard the sounds come out

Last nights incidents just dont gel with that statement Why do it and then come back???

Sargeant,

I understand your reasoning but think I may be able to explain the apparent paradox. To make a statement on satan's own TV station stating a date and intention that does not tie up with future events is exactly what I would expect from a devious confidence trickster like Thaksin. He probably already knew darn well that the bomb attack would happen last night as he was the most likely person behind the attacks. It does not seem to gel but then if you look into the events surrounding Thaksin since April 3rd nothing seems quite to fit. This kind of subterfuge is exactly typical of the MO of a deviant dictator. Unpredictability is the key weapon.

"NO ONE EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION"

You have to use the process of elimination.

Who would stand to gain from these actions. Two groups spring to mind, the extremist breakaway fundamentalists and the TRT. There is always the extremely unlikely possibility that an outside force is responsible. I think that option can be discounted leaving the two.

The Army and the Police have both issued statements today that they do not believe that the Muslims are in any way involved. The army and the police are the traditional age old enemies of the Muslim Extremists. Surely they would take the chance to point fingers at there enemies if they had the chance especially certain pro Thaksin police officials. So if the Muslims are eliminated there is only one option left.

If you eliminate all possibilities then no matter how unbelievable the remainder is, it must be the truth. I do appreciate at this stage that many options will have to be considered in the future when more facts become available.

As for the mention of "sheer lunacy", well that is exactly what he is, a lunatic but smart enough to realize that he can sit on the bamboo curtain and make himself acceptable to both sides at the expense of Thailand.

Rider,

Whereas I can see your side too, the reality just does not stack up against the facts.

Just take a look back at the two days prior to the complete dismissal of Thaksin

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/09 ... 013851.php

This was not Muslim MO and also hit foreigners. The stories of the following few days put this story into the background. Thaksin's then used the story an indication to the West of what he had to deal with at home and got full support from the satanists that the "coup" was illegal. This was done without any word from the UN who seem to have disintegrated since the start of the unsanctioned second Iraq war and been relegated to a pen pushing administration role creating international guidelines that the US and the UK immediately dismiss.

I have only a little doubt that these bombings and those of last night were in some way orchestrated by Thaksin or his supporters.

As for the latest bombings targeting tourists, I don't think that was the case, In fact tourist areas were avoided. From the locations described so far it seems that the targets were anti Thaksin locations with one at least being set off in an area with a high Muslim population.

If you travel around central Bangkok is is very difficult to be very far away from a foreigner and that foreigner will more than likely be a farang. So anywhere you drop a bomb or a grenade there is a high chance that a foreigner will be hit. I do not believe that they were the intended targets and the same applies to the Had Yai bombings.

I believe that this is a sign of things to come and could well be just a minor incident on the lead up to the Third World War. I do not believe the future of world peace will be destroyed by the world of Islam but from a far more dangerous and formidable enemy.

"ENTER THE DRAGON"

There is an interesting article at the URL below that has some interesting theories that tie in well with facts. Unfortunately it is a Christian publication so has a slant, but still much truth in there and well written. Make your own conclusions.

http://www.realtruth.org/articles/324-trotrd.html

[sargeant]

Guess you must stop smoking that crap since when has ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation been Satans TV Station
It Demonstrates your one tracked bias from the get go
Quote only 2 groups can gain from this TRT and muslim fundementalists unquote what about the opposition or the present authorities not a mention from you it shows you to be pretty Gullible at best downright stupid to raving lunatic at worst are you so twitter and bisted about TRT you cannot see any other scenarios let alone anylise them
I on the other hand come from the i am NOT prepared to write anything off and have given all scenarios
you delete the south completely and swallow the police statement whole however I agree only because they would probably have claimed it but equally and unlike you i do consider things it could be that as falangs have been injured they have considered that is publicity one step to far for them and are staying quiet
You then say as the muslims are eliminated that only leaves one option for you, yes It could be a double bluff by TRT as stated by me umwah in 2 previous posts I still leave it as a high possibility
Yet you post it as a cast iron certainty how stupid

You tell rider to look back at the 2 days before the coup, me to what i remember was the OPPOSITION were gonna have yet another rally after many (in spite of the Kings request not to) and TRT were coming for the FIRST time to meet it the coup was to stop a blood bath correctly
So yes it probably was the opposition who you in all your worldly terrorist experince dont mention let alone anylise that did it but i am not putting it forward as a cast iron certainty
As for your writing off the authorities it shows your ignorance of reality they have been warning and saying they have information for months yet 9 bombs got laid 8 went of the police got one it could be incompetence it could be they let it happen it could be they did it themselves i hope its the first it is less likley for the second 2 but i dont write them out either

You then dissapear into your deranged Thaksinaphobic rectum this is the start of the third world war what are you smoking it could be any of the protaganists but it sure as hell aint the start of anything more than problems for thailand and its lovely peoples
you should send your degree back its totally useless as an unbiased analysing tool

[STEVE G]

Gen Sonthi, the first Thai Muslim to become army commander-in-chief, brushed off speculation that the explosions were the work of Muslim militants engaged in a separatist struggle in the southernmost part of the country.

"If southerners came up here to Bangkok they would get lost and wouldn't have been able to escape," said Sonthi.


No need for Sherlock Holmes then!

[DawnHRD]

"If southerners came up here to Bangkok they would get lost and wouldn't have been able to escape," said Sonthi.

The year is only a few hours old, and already we have a contender for "most stupid comment made by a politician!"

I have no idea who is responsible; all contenders seem equally likely/unlikely. But that comment is unbelievably puerile!