Thai authorities know who was behind a wave of bombings that rocked popular tourist destinations and killed four people, a police spokesman said yesterday, though officials remained tight-lipped on the details of their probe.
At least two men have been held for questioning over the blasts in Hua Hin — struck by four of the bombs — and a third was arrested over a suspected arson attack in a separate province, police said.
“Our investigation is progressing. We know who was behind it,” Thai deputy national police spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang said, declining to provide further details on those detained or a possible motive.
A junta spokesman confirmed that multiple people have been questioned, but said it was too early to identify them as suspects.
“It is just asking questions. They will not be treated as suspects unless the questioning procedure is done and any of them are found to have violated laws. Then legal action may be taken against them,” Colonel Winthai Suvaree said.
At least 11 bombs and a series of suspected arson attacks ripped across seven southern provinces on Thursday and Friday, killing four Thais and wounding more than 30 people, including European tourists.
Some analysts said it was the work of Muslim rebels waging a long-running insurgency in Thailand’s southern tip, but Thai officials have dismissed that theory and also ruled out international terrorist groups, insisting the bombings were acts of “local sabotage.”
“We believe [the bombers] are still in Thailand,” Thai Deputy National Police Chief Ponsapat Pongcharoen said.
No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, which are seen as an affront to a military government that prides itself on having brought some stability to Thailand since its coup in 2014.
The bombings in top tourist destinations, including the island of Phuket, threaten a vital source of income for Thailand.
The sector accounts for at least 10 percent of an economy that the junta has struggled to revive.
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