Phuket bomb fears disarmed by shrimp paste

PHUKET: Fears that an abandoned bag might contain a bomb sent ordnance disposal experts racing to Baan Laem Hin yesterday. However, the team quickly discovered that the bag contained only shrimp paste.

A bus driver who had just finished his shift discovered the bag and, with the recent news of the explosives-laden pickup truck found last Saturday (store here), called the police.

“My friend and I had just parked our bus at a gas station and were walking over to Phuket Bus Terminal 2 to rent a motorbike to go to Laem Promthep,” said Worrapot Pruksacheep, 20.

“We were tired so we decided to stop at a bus shelter for a rest. It was there that we saw the bag under the bench seat in the shelter. I tried to drag it out, but couldn’t because it was so heavy,” he said. “Then I got suspicious and decided to call the police – it could have been a bomb.”

Police responded by sending experts from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit to investigate.

“Officers moved the bag from under the bench and opened it carefully,” Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Arun Kaewwatee told the Phuket Gazette.

“They had to proceed slowly, so it took them about 10 minutes to realize that it was just shrimp paste inside,” he said.

The 10kg of shrimp paste was taken to the Phuket City Police station. Police have asked that the owner reclaim it at the station.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong