The Bangkok bombing was “unlikely” to be the work of an international terror group, the Thai government claimed on Thursday.
Military spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree told reporters that a preliminary investigation into the bombing of the Hindu Erawan Shrine on Monday that killed 20 had revealed the perpetrators were not foreign.
His remarks contradict official police statements yesterday, which claimed that the suspect – identified so far only by CCTV footage and a sketch – was a “foreign” man and said that the agency had appealed to INterpol for assistance in tracking him down.
The seemingly contrary reports follow the unprecedented destruction at the Erawan Shrine on Monday in which 20 people were killed and 123 injured after a six pound pipe bomb detonated at the busy shrine at around 7pm (local time).
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In a television address on Thursday the Mr Suvaree claimed that “security agencies have collaborated with intelligence agencies from a lot of countries and have come to the same preliminary conclusion that the incident is unlikely to be linked to international terrorism”.
He failed to give any further details, but did refute previously expressed fears that Chinese citizens (four of whom died) had been the focus of the attack, claiming they were not the “direct targets”.
The colonel also said that as many as 10 people were suspected of involvement in the attack.
An artist’s impression of the suspected bomber
Yesterday, a manhunt was underway for a man, wearing a yellow t-shirt and heavy-framed glasses, seen in CCTV footage apparently depositing a black rucksack at the scene before vanishing into the crowd only minutes before the explosion.
Thai authorities released a sketch of the suspect and offered a million Baht (roughly £18,000) for any information related to him. Later on Wednesday police authorities claimed that two other individuals, also seen on CCTV footage, were wanted for questioning.
Police spokesman Lieutenant General Prawut Thavornsiri had expressed confusion about the original suspect’s origin, telling reporters on Wednesday that he "looks like a foreigner" but "might have been in a disguise and wearing a fake nose" to obscure his features.
The Shrine reopened to the public yesterday, with crowds gathering to pay their respects following the attack dubbed the “worst” in Thailand’s history by its Prime Minister.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
