Summary
- There have been multiple explosions in nine incidents in at least five separate locations across Thailand in the past 24 hours (Hua Hin, Phuket, Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Trang).
- Four people have been confirmed dead. Thirty-five people have been injured, including 10 foreign tourists. A list of the tourists’ names has been released, they range in age from 16 to 48 and include two Dutch women and a Dutch man.
- The attacks appear to be at least in part targeting areas where tourism is important.
- Police have detained a number of suspects and blamed “local sabotage”. They have specifically denied the involvement of terrorist insurgents from the south of the country, which analysts say have been involved in long-running battles with the Thai state. There have been no claims of responsibility.
- The Thai prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has called for calm and ordered security to be increased across urban areas and areas popular with tourists.
- Security services are increasing presence at transport hubs. Phuket international airport, and some railways stations and roads have been closed in affected provinces.
- Foreign embassies are warning visitors to Thailand to be vigilant
As details of each incident trickle out, it is clear some of the devices were detonated using timers or a mobile phone signal.
- In Hua Hin, at least one of the bombs – hidden in plant pots on a street filled with restaurants, bars and food vendors – was detonated using a Samsung mobile phone.
- In Phuket, a mobile phone timer was found at the scene of one blast. Two suspects have been arrested there.
- In Trang, parts of a Samsung mobile phone and steel pipe were found at the site of the blast in which one person died.
- In Surat Thani, another mobile phone was found at the site of the fatal blast.
Authorities have released a list of 10 names of foreign tourists injured in the Thursday night blasts in Hua Hin. They include two Dutch men, a Dutch woman, and seven others ranging in age from 16 to 48.
We have not yet been able to independently confirm their identities.
The police have said they have detained suspects but the group or motivation is still unclear. However, spokesman Piyapan Ping said the intention was to cause chaos.
Tourist Shane Brett has told the ABC in Australia he was in Hua Hin when the first explosion was heard.
“I was at a bar in the main bar district in Hua Hin right outside the Hilton hotel and at first I heard kind of a bang ... and everyone kind of panicked,” Brett said.
He looked outside the bar and said saw people running. Half an hour later, he made it back to his hotel. On the way, he said he saw “a good few people injured and the whole area just panicking ... the whole area was just shut down with police cars, ambulances.”
What we know so far
- There have been multiple explosions in at least five separate locations across Thailand in the past 24 hours (Hua Hin, Phuket, Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Trang).
- Four people have been confirmed dead. Thirty-five people have been injured. including seven foreign tourists.
- The attacks appear to be at least in part targeting areas where tourism is important.
- Police have blamed “local sabotage” instead of terrorist insurgents from the south of the country, which analysts say have been involved in long-running battles with the Thai state. There have been no claims of responsibility.
- The Thai prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, has called for calm and ordered security to be increased across urban areas and areas popular with tourists.
- Security services are increasing presence across tourist destinations and transport hubs. Phuket international airport, and some railways stations and roads have been closed in affected provinces.
- Foreign embassies are warning visitors to Thailand to be vigilant
Updated
The police have also just completely ruled out the insurgent groups from the south as being behind the attacks. They consider it a case of domestically inspired ‘local sabotage’ rather than terrorism from the south.
They are holding another media conference in two hours.
To give a sense of the span of these attacks, the resort town of Hua Hin is about 200km south of Bangkok. The southern provinces affected, such as Phuket, are about 850km south of the capital, or about an hour’s flight.
Death toll rises
Reporter Adam Ramsey has the latest from a media conference the police have just held. They have confirmed four people have died in a series of bombings in the past 24 hours.
Two died on Thursday (one in the town of Hua Hin, one in Trang province). Two died in the second wave of attacks on Friday (one in Hua Hin, one in Surat Thani province)
There are reports Hua Hin station was closed not simply as a precaution but because of ‘suspicious parcels’. We will keep you updated once we know more. My colleague Oliver Holmes is heading there soon. You will be able to follow updates from him on Twitter @olireports
11:08 EOD at Hua Hin railway station after suspicious parcels found. Station still closed (Via @kapookdotcom) pic.twitter.com/eV9MYkfa4p
— Richard Barrow (@RichardBarrow) August 12, 2016
Security is being stepped up at Phuket international airport, according to Thai PBS news.
This follows the prime minister’s orders to tighten security across landmarks and public places popular with tourists.
The blasts this morning at Hua Hin took place at its clock tower following a short ceremony to celebrate the Queen’s birthday and Mother’s Day in Thailand.
The event included Buddhist collection of alms and ended around 8am. The two explosions occurred, in succession, about an hour later.
No group has yet claimed responsibility, however, analysts have pointed out taht Muslim insurgent groups in the south have for years been fighting the Thai state.
Paul Chambers, an expert on the Thai military, said Malay-Muslim insurgent groups from the south were prime suspects in the blasts.
“The attack on Hua Hin seems like a direct affront at the Kingdom of Thailand. Hua Hin is home to a royal palace ... also, the bombing comes on the queen’s birthday.”
Zachary Abuza, an expert on south-east Asian militant groups, said that although the southern insurgents had not carried out coordinated attacks for years, “it’s not that they haven’t or couldn’t, it’s just been a while”.
“Whoever has perpetrated these wants to do serious damage to the Thai economy. That is where the junta is the most vulnerable.”
The prime minister has called for calm but said he did not know who was behind the attacks.
“The bombs are an attempt to create chaos and confusion,” Prayut is quoted by AFP as saying. “We should not make people panic more.”
“Why have the bombs occurred as our country is heading towards stability, a better economy and tourism – and who did it? You have to find out,” he added.
PM issues 'emergency orders'
Prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered security to be increased across urban areas and areas popular with tourists.
Government spokesman Major General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said: “The PM has issued emergency orders to the relevant agencies in the areas to prevent other bombing incidents from happening again, increase the security in the crowd areas, and appoint those who are responsible to handle the situation in an emergency event.”
Further bombings
We are getting reports of more blasts in the past 90 minutes. The permanent secretary of Thailand’s Interior Ministry just confirmed three bombings this morning in the southern province Phang Nga, which neighbours Phuket. The timings are not yet exact: around 10am for the first two, then around 10.30am for the third. No injuries have been reported.
The Spanish and British governments have advised travellers to avoid public places and exercise caution. Hua Hin and Phuket province are of course popular with tourists, especially from Europe, with beaches, surf, night markets and the red light district all drawcards
Residentes y turistas en #Tailandia, manteneos alerta, evitad aglomeraciones y lugares públicos y extremad la precaución.
— EmbEspañaBangkok (@EmbajadaEspBKK) August 12, 2016
The situation is still far from clear, but the town of Hua Hin appears to be most affected, with two sets of explosions. Its train station and cinema have been closed.
Update: This is what I am tracking now in #Thailand. Lots of questions, few answers. pic.twitter.com/zkJOZvh8kd
— Zachary Abuza (@ZachAbuza) August 12, 2016
A series of apparently coordinated blasts has hit tourist towns in southern Thailand. Three people are reported dead so far and at least 19 have been injured.
The bombings have come in two waves: one on Thursday night and a second on Friday morning. There are fears there may be more devices, with reports two more may have been defused.
Here is what we know so far. We will keep you updated as events unfold
