News and Analysis - 01 January 2007: Thailand – New Year’s Bombings in Bangkok

On New Year’s Eve and shortly after midnight New Year’s Day eight small bombs exploded in Bangkok killing 3 and wounding 38, including 9 foreigners. Six of the bombs exploded shortly after 6:00 PM in the evening and the other two after midnight. The locations for the most part centered around highly popular shopping and restaurant areas in the vicinity of Central World Plaza, Victory Monument, Seacon Square Mall, Sukhumvit Road, Soi [lane] 62, Khao San, Saphan Kwai, Kae Lai, and Klong Toey. One, possibly two other bombs, were found in the Khao San backpacker tourist area and rendered safe by authorities. According to Deputy Police Chief Achirawat Suphanphesat, the bombs were mostly constructed using ammonia nitrate placed in 5x3x1 metal boxes and timed with digital clocks. Because of the size of the bombs, it appears that they were purposely designed to limit the number casualties. (Comment – However, due to numbers of people expected on New Year’s Eve in the areas the bombs were planted, it is clear that the bomb makers were fully cognizant that the explosions would result in civilian casualties.) No one, nor any organization or group has thus far claimed responsibility for the bombings. Government officials and police have stated that it is unlikely that the bombs were planted by Muslim separatist operating from southern Thailand or international terrorists, and it is almost surely the work of individuals trying to discredit the Council for National Security (CNS) that was established after the 19 September coup, which toppled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawartra.  Thaksin, currently in China, has denied any involvement in the attacks. (Comment -  The mostly likely perpetrators of the attack are those who remain loyal to ousted PM Thaksin. It is widely known that senior members of the police, who found a powerful patron in one time police officer Thaksin are among those most disgruntled with the coup group. The current PM, retired General Surayud Chulanont, has made reforming the police a high priority since taking over and this has created great animosity among those who feel he is meddling in an area that has long been held sacrosanct. Surayud has also alienated senior members in the military who were aligned with Thakin and had rapidly risen in rank and position during his administration. Both these groups possess the knowledge to create the bombs, as well as having access to the materials needed to construct them. The immediate effect of the bombings is that it creates an atmosphere of greatly increased uncertainty in Thailand’s political situation and instills a sense of fear in the general population. Collateral effects could be a decline in tourism as politically motivated acts of terrorism are combined with separatist terrorist acts in the south making Thailand a less desirable place to vacation. (Bangkok has long been regarded as very safe and even relatively free of crime directed against foreigners.) Additionally, the economy, which in December went through a major, but short-lived, jolt could be adversely effected, which would also give further ammunition to political opponents of the CNS as they prepare for elections that are supposed to be held later this year.) [slr]