Prime Minister Surayud Chula-nont said yesterday that supporters of Thailand's toppled regime rather than Muslim insurgents were likely behind bombings in the capital that killed three people and ruined New Year's Eve festivities for thousands of revelers.
Nine bombs exploded across Bangkok on Sunday night and early yesterday, wounding 38 people, including nine foreigners.
Ajirawit said that the wounded foreigners included four Hungarians, three Serbians and two Britons. Two remained hospitalized.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
"From the evidence we have gathered, there is a slim chance that it is related to the southern insurgency. It is likely related to people who lost their political benefits," Surayud told a press conference, referring to the regime of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
At least two members of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party were called in for investigation, including top aide Prommin Lertsuridej and former deputy prime minister Chitchai Wannasathit, Army Commander General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin said.
"The people who carried out the bombings were ill-intentioned people who want [the attacks] to have political impact. They want to create a scenario of a politically unstable Thailand," Surayud said.
"The kind of bombs used, the places they picked and the timing show that their intention was to cause panic and fear," the prime minister said, but added there were no intelligence reports that more bombings would occur.
A senior military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said several senior army officers loyal to Thaksin collaborated with ousted politicians to orchestrate the bombings hoping to discredit the government.
Thaksin's lawyer, Noppadol Patama, said the former leader condemned the attacks and called allegations of his involvement "unfair." Some supporters have suggested that implicating Thaksin may be a ploy by the government to justify seizing the multimillionaire's assets.
"Thaksin was elected by the people and even during the time of conflict, he has refrained from using violence," Noppadol said. "It is very unlikely that a politician who was elected by the people will resort to violence."
Initially, there were fears that the Muslim separatist insurgency in Thailand's three southernmost provinces had finally spread to Bangkok.
Sondhi said the rebels were not linked to the bombing.
"They can't fight a battle in unfamiliar territory," said Sondhi, a Muslim who cut short his Haj pilgrimage to return to Bangkok after the attacks.
Ajirawit said the bombs were assembled by professionals and several of them contained ammonium nitrate, nails and ball bearings. The first six blasts rocked Bangkok around 6pm. A second round went off just after midnight.
Several embassies issued updated travel advisories, warning of a possibility of more bombings and advising their citizens not to travel within Bangkok and to avoid mass gatherings.
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