Phuket Gazette: Bomb blasts in Bangkok

– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET (News Wires): Pol Lt Col Witthaya Poonsin, deputy commander of Klong Tan traffic police, said a foreigner, who has yet to be identified, threw the first bomb at a taxi on Soi Pridi Panomyong. The taxi was damaged in the explosion.

Witthaya said the man later walked to the main Sukhumvit 71 Road and when he spotted a police officer tried to lob another bomb at the officer.

The bomb slipped out of his hand and exploded. The blast cut both of his legs off and he was rushed to Chulalongkorn Hospital.

Klong Tan police chief Col Sitthiparp Baiprasert said police are checking whether there are still explosives left.

Sitthiparp said the man was likely an Arab who rented a house on Soi Pridi Phanomyong 36.

Sitthiparp said there was also an explosion at the house at 2 pm.

He said three foreigners were living at the house but two had fled.

Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Pol Maj Gen Pisit Pisutsak said the attacker was identified as Saci Morabi.

He said police are still hunting for the two other foreigners.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Wallop Suwankhadee said the first explosion was only 500 metres away from Kasem Witthaya School.

Sanchai Boonsoonnern, the driver of the damaged taxi, told the Rawangpai TV program that the foreigner suddenly threw a bomb at his vehicle.

The bomb fell on the bonnet of his car and rolled under it and exploded.

The taxi driver was standing outside the vehicle so he shouted for help and tried to run after the attacker who ran towards the Sukhumvit 71 Raod.

Sanchai said the man tried to stop taxis to flee but none picked him up. Sanchai said he saw the man pull something from his bag and it fell on the ground and exploded.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Thani Thongphakdee said it could not be concluded now that the explosions were a terrorist act, and that the explosions might not be related to terrorist warnings by foreign embassies, some of which have already been lifted for up to 10 days.

— Phuket Gazette & The Nation