Banned
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30023027BMA cancels New Year alms giving
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration cancelled the New Year alms giving at Sanam Luang, which was scheduled at 6 am on Monday.
The cancellation came after two more explosion near Central World Plaza and Pratunam pier.
The Nation
Banned
I have to say that I'm not, as yet, convinced of the following BBC explanation. I would say the southern insurgent/terrorist/separatist groups have shown a surprising degree of organization in recent months. But one thing that these groups haven't yet developed is a mechanism for ensuring that the media are aware of the 'responsibility' for attacks; and I'm not aware that anyone has tried to claim these attacks so far.
Could this have been a convenient way to deflect inter-communal conflict on an evening when many people were under the influence? I doubt that too. The police have shown little sign of being that diplomatic in the past. And such conflict is not usually a significant problem in areas (outside the deep south) where the two religious communities interface.
One thing I wouldn't rule out completely is the possibility that these attacks are some sort of collaboration. The southern issue has always been complicated by the covert meddling of 'Bangkok' political elements. That said, the 'angry young men' who currently hold sway in the deep south have shown little interest in carrying out other people's work. Indeed, their intransigence is almost a reaction to the duplicity of their predecessors: -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6221177.stmPolice do not believe foreign groups or militants from the Muslim south are to blame, says the BBC's Jonathan Head.
Our Bangkok correspondent says many Thais suspect the attacks were the work of opponents of the current military government, which forced Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from office in September.
This map only shows the 'early' blasts: -
[BBC]
Last edited by GWR; 01-01-07 at 07:59 AM.
Banned
Thai Rath reported that 4 of the bombs - at Victory Monument, Saphan Kwai, Klong Toei, and Seacon Square - were detonated by watch and not mobile phone.
Channel 11 TV reported that nails were used in the bombs.
Banned
On the other hand, do I think there are elements in the 'former clique' treacherous enough to carry out such acts. The answer is a resounding 'yes'. Indeed, one of the reasons why I have never been able to buy into the myth of its reformist intentions is precisely because it never made any real effort to avoid using the traditional political mercenaries. Sure, there were/are plenty of well-intentioned individuals, but also a significant number of the same old cynical 'guns for hire'.
Last edited by GWR; 01-01-07 at 10:04 AM.
Banned
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30023028Meeting fails to establish culprits of Bangkok bomb attacks: spokesman
Government Spokesman Yongyuth Maiyalarp said the meeting of security and intelligence agencies at the Internal Security Operations Command head office late Sunday night failed to establish culprits behind the bomb attacks.
The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Surahyud Chulanont and ws participated by the chief of the National Intelligence Agency.
Yongyuth said the agencies needed more evidence to analyse the information.
The Nation
Registered User
User rank - Tram conductor
The large number and fairly good (but not perfect) coordination of the bomb timings indicates that this was carried out by a large, fairly well organized group -- but, with all due respect to the victims, the one thing that strikes me here is how few casualties there were. All the bombs appear to have been placed outside, which means their detonation will be largely absorbed by the air and dissipate very quickly, instead of being inside buildings (like the Bali blasts), where the explosive power is magnified by the structure and can also cause the building itself to collapse, causing yet more casualties. Either this was intentional, or more likely the bombers were just incompetent. No sign of any suicide bombers either.
Registered User
I fear this is going to hit tourism in Thailand hard for a while.................it won't stop us though, we shall arrive, mid Jan, come hell or high water...........We were in Manchester and in Birmingham during the IRAs "bit of fun" and don't have any real fear of random bombing (obviously, you stand a far greater chance of being involved in a car accident than being blasted by a bomb).
Two years ago we went to Phuket just after the Tsunami, it was really weird..........there were virtually no tourists..............anywhere. Thai people we spoke to were really suffering because on top of the disaster of the tsunami they were facing financial ruin because there were no tourists to sell to.
So if anyone out there is thinking of canceling their trip to Thailand because of this outrage, (unless your governments foreign office issues advice which would affect your travel insurance) I would say don't cancel - GO! You will be about as safe as you would be in London or New York etc. and you will be helping lots of ordinary Thai people stay in business.
Sorry for the rant...............just my two-pennyworth!
Banned
http://www.2bangkok.com
January 1, 2006, 0:41 - Exclusive information: One Hungarian was injured in the Victory Monument blast. Three Serbs, two English, two Thais, and one Irish were injured in the Central World Plaza/Pratuman blasts and are in the nearby Police Hospital. Three more unexploded bombs were found in the Central World Plaza area that did not go off.
Comment: All indications are that these events will be laid at the feet of the previous government. It was surprising to see leaks to the press so soon after the bombings citing the 'old clique' as being behind the attacks - of course, this type of accusation would also be expected to manage public perceptions that the troubles in the deep south have come to Bangkok.
In the last two weeks the coup government has been under sustained attack from accusations that PM Surayud kept rail cars at his estate and that his estate was on public land sold to him illegally. Both of these accusations have been leveled at politicians before and resonate with the public and are extremely damaging. http://207.5.19.33/forum/showthread.php?t=2112
On top of this Sonthi was accused of having two wives and has been called on to step down. The government has been coming forward in a rather amateurish way to counter these claims - holding press conferences in an even-handed way instead of going on the attack and regaining the high ground. http://207.5.19.33/forum/showthread.php?t=2114
We would expect that these bombings, coming on top of the recent attacks on Sonthi and Surayud, will be the last straw - the government has to strike back now or risk being seen as weak.
Last edited by GWR; 01-01-07 at 10:11 AM.
Banned
Can we expect an extension of 'Emergency Powers'?
Royal Thai Army C-in-C General Sonthi Boonyaratglin is reported to have cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia for a return to Bangkok this afternoon. Sonthi will chair a meeting of the CNS at RTA HQ later in in the afternoon.
Banned
ITV reports a grenade was lobbed into a mosque in Chiang Mai this morning, injuring four people.
Chiang-Mai Muslim spokesmen have commented several times in recent months that they feel threatened by local elements who mistakenly link them to the southern crisis. They have also pointed out their different origins.
Again, we would be wise to see indirect causes at work here until such time as the perpetrators of all these vile acts have the courage to state their real intentions. If indeed they have any!
Last edited by GWR; 01-01-07 at 10:28 AM.
Banned
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30023031Former PM's secretary-general Prommin Lertsuridej said he was told by the Council for National Security to report himself to the CNS Monday morning.
But, Prommin said, he informed Army Assistant Commander-in-Chief Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr that he wanted to postpone the meeting with the CNS.
The Nation
He is doubtless being called in to ascertain whether Thaksin has issued any denials.
Last edited by GWR; 01-01-07 at 10:43 AM.
Registered User
Of course, it's all speculation at this point, but let's not forget the bombings that occurred over several months around the time of the PAD rallies. There was, among others, one on Wireless, one near the Ministry of Interior, and one near Prem's residence that wounded a foreign tourist. This series of bombs were more noise-makers than shrapnel-laden killers, but there were a few casualties. While it was never unambiguous, it appeared to me that those attacks aimed to intimidate Thaksin's opponents. As far as I know, no one was ever arrested or charged in those bombings; it was as if they were just part of the environment rather than serious crimes to solved. Might whoever was responsible for those bombings have decided to kick it up a notch?
Banned
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30023033Bangkok 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
Banned
Thaksin denies, Surayud blames
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30023040Thaksin denies involvement in Bangkok bomb attacks
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra Monday denied his involvement in the bomb attacks in Bangkok on New Year Eve, his legal adviser said.
Noppadol Pattama said Thaksin, who was in Bejing, expressed his sorrow over the attacks.
"He insisted that he did not even think about creating disturbance or violence so that he could return to power," Noppadol said.
"Thaksin said he is worried and feels that is unfair to link him and the old power clique for the bomb attacks."
The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30023039Surayud blames old power clique behind Bangkok bomb attacks
Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said Monday that the old power clique was behind the bomb attacks in Bangkok on New Year Eve.
He said the southern violence had nothing to do with the Bangkok bomb attacks.
He said he was not referring only to the previous government but to all those who had lost political interest.
"So far, we cannot identify which groups were behind the attacks but we already have targets of our investigation," Surayud said.
The Nation
Banned
Pornthip probes
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/brea...ewsid=30023037Porntip 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.
She said she would present details of findings by her institute before making the details public.
The Nation
Posting Permissions
