Thai authorities are hunting for suspects captured on security camera footage in connection with a powerful blast that killed at least 20 people in Bangkok's central shopping district, junta leader Prayuth Chan-Ocha said.
The site of Monday's evening rush hour blast -near the popular Erawan Hindu shrine in an area surrounded by shopping malls and hotels - showed the perpetrators aimed to hurt foreigners, Army Chief Udomdej Sitabutr said. The dead included people from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. Another 124 people were wounded. "We haven't concluded yet who did this," Prayuth told reporters Tuesday. "There are two possibilities between politics and international issues. I haven't ruled out anything. But there are already conflicts in politics. Who lit the fuse, can you answer me?"
The attack raises the specter of renewed violence in a country that has seen years of political unrest, culminating in a May 2014 coup that deposed a government backed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Parties linked to Thaksin have won the past five elections, leading to a backlash among opponents who saw him as a threat to the monarchy, which is protected from criticism by strict laws.
One of the only bright spots has been tourism, which the government expected to bring in $51 billion in revenue this year.
Thailand attracted about 25 million tourists in 2014, roughly a quarter of all visitors to Southeast Asia, according to the World Tourism Organization.
"We've also seen some cancellations from high-end Chinese tourists, but that's not much," Tourism Council of Thailand President Ittirith Kinglake said Tuesday. "If nothing else occurs, the impact will be limited as we haven't reached high season in the fourth quarter yet."
Markets were closed at the time of the bombing. The baht fell 0.5 percent on Tuesday, while the benchmark SET Index declined 1.8 per cent as tourism and leisure stocks dropped.
"The perpetrators intended to destroy the Thai economy and tourism," Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told Nation Channel on Tuesday. "They may also want to discredit the government."
More Serious
The Ratchaprasong intersection has been a site for political protests in recent years, including demonstrations in 2010 by supporters of Thaksin that led to a deadly military crackdown and saw a major shopping mall set ablaze. It was also among the places attacked in a series of bombings on New Year's Eve in 2006 that killed three people and wounded dozens.
Monday's powerful blast left body parts scattered on sidewalks and motorcycles burning in the street. It rattled windows in office towers several blocks away and was heard across the centre of the city. Police said they suspect an improvised explosive device was left near the shrine.
Prayuth said the latest incident was far more serious than past bombings.
"The events before were just to cause a scene," he said. "But this time they aimed to take lives."
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was shocked by the explosion, while Singapore's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, saying some Singaporeans had been injured. The Hong Kong government asked citizens to delay non-essential travel to Bangkok.
Travel warning
The US Embassy in Bangkok warned its citizens to avoid the area. It's unclear if any US citizens were affected by the blast, State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing.
"We don't have any information right now that would lead up to be able to describe the cause here," Kirby said.
The bombing may spur more repressive measures by the military or renewed anti-Thaksin protests, according to Paul Chambers, director of research at the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs in Chiang Mai. It was unlikely to have been carried out by insurgents from Muslim-majority southern provinces that have largely avoided attacks elsewhere.
"Regardless, these bombings are surely going to send Thailand's economy south," Chambers said.
The site of Monday's evening rush hour blast -near the popular Erawan Hindu shrine in an area surrounded by shopping malls and hotels - showed the perpetrators aimed to hurt foreigners, Army Chief Udomdej Sitabutr said. The dead included people from China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines. Another 124 people were wounded. "We haven't concluded yet who did this," Prayuth told reporters Tuesday. "There are two possibilities between politics and international issues. I haven't ruled out anything. But there are already conflicts in politics. Who lit the fuse, can you answer me?"
The attack raises the specter of renewed violence in a country that has seen years of political unrest, culminating in a May 2014 coup that deposed a government backed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Parties linked to Thaksin have won the past five elections, leading to a backlash among opponents who saw him as a threat to the monarchy, which is protected from criticism by strict laws.
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The blast adds to concerns about slowing economic growth in Thailand in part due to the political discord that has worsened over the past decade. Data released on Monday showed the economy slowed in the second quarter on weak local demand and exports, with the outlook clouded further by drought and the devaluation of China's currency.
One of the only bright spots has been tourism, which the government expected to bring in $51 billion in revenue this year.
Thailand attracted about 25 million tourists in 2014, roughly a quarter of all visitors to Southeast Asia, according to the World Tourism Organization.
"We've also seen some cancellations from high-end Chinese tourists, but that's not much," Tourism Council of Thailand President Ittirith Kinglake said Tuesday. "If nothing else occurs, the impact will be limited as we haven't reached high season in the fourth quarter yet."
Markets were closed at the time of the bombing. The baht fell 0.5 percent on Tuesday, while the benchmark SET Index declined 1.8 per cent as tourism and leisure stocks dropped.
"The perpetrators intended to destroy the Thai economy and tourism," Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told Nation Channel on Tuesday. "They may also want to discredit the government."
More Serious
The Ratchaprasong intersection has been a site for political protests in recent years, including demonstrations in 2010 by supporters of Thaksin that led to a deadly military crackdown and saw a major shopping mall set ablaze. It was also among the places attacked in a series of bombings on New Year's Eve in 2006 that killed three people and wounded dozens.
Monday's powerful blast left body parts scattered on sidewalks and motorcycles burning in the street. It rattled windows in office towers several blocks away and was heard across the centre of the city. Police said they suspect an improvised explosive device was left near the shrine.
Prayuth said the latest incident was far more serious than past bombings.
"The events before were just to cause a scene," he said. "But this time they aimed to take lives."
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was shocked by the explosion, while Singapore's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, saying some Singaporeans had been injured. The Hong Kong government asked citizens to delay non-essential travel to Bangkok.
Travel warning
The US Embassy in Bangkok warned its citizens to avoid the area. It's unclear if any US citizens were affected by the blast, State Department spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing.
"We don't have any information right now that would lead up to be able to describe the cause here," Kirby said.
The bombing may spur more repressive measures by the military or renewed anti-Thaksin protests, according to Paul Chambers, director of research at the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs in Chiang Mai. It was unlikely to have been carried out by insurgents from Muslim-majority southern provinces that have largely avoided attacks elsewhere.
"Regardless, these bombings are surely going to send Thailand's economy south," Chambers said.