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BANGKOK - Two people were killed and 26 injured in six co-ordinated bomb blasts across Bangkok last night, prompting the cancellation of New Year celebrations in the Thai capital.
The explosions occurred within 70 minutes of each other across Bangkok, and began at 5.20pm (11.20pm NZT) on downtown Sukhumvit Road. There was no indication of who was responsible.
New Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, installed after a coup three months ago, called an emergency meeting with senior military leaders and the interior minister to discuss the attacks.
"The bombs were to scare people during the New Year festival," Ajiravid Subarnbhesaj, national police spokesman, said at a press conference.
"The situation is under control, but all people should be united and patient," he added.
The health ministry's information centre said two men -- a 36-year-old and a 61-year-old -- had been killed in the attacks, while 26 people were injured.
Ajiravid confirmed the death of the 36-year-old, but could not comment on the second death. The police injury figure also conflicts with the health ministry, with their toll currently at 20.
Ajiravid said the first blast was on Sukhumvit Road and did not injure anyone. The most serious blast hit the Victory Monument in central Bangkok at 5.30pm, where 13 people were injured, he said.
Two bombs then hit police traffic posts in the north of the city almost simultaneously at about 6pm, police said, injuring two.
At about 6.30pm another bomb exploded near a Chinese temple in Klong Toey district, downtown Bangkok, Ajiravid said, injuring five people including one child.
At about the same time, a sixth device went off in a garbage can behind a department store in an eastern suburb, but no-one was injured.
It was not immediately clear if the bombs had anything to do with the military coup on September 19 that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, or with an ongoing violent separatist insurgency in the kingdom's south.
Prime Minister Surayud visited victims at Ratvitee hospital near the Victory Monument, and said he would wait for an investigation before speculating about the motive.
"I am asking for understanding because someone has bad will against us," he said.
Thousands of people had already gathered outside a shopping mall in central Bangkok to watch musicians and actors count down to 2007, but Bangkok's governor called a halt to the festivities and told people to go home.
Coup leader and junta chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin ordered the mobilisation of soldiers in Bangkok to co-ordinate security with police, his assistant General Anupong Paochinda said.
"Soldiers are around Bangkok, particularly in crowded areas," he said, adding that they did not yet known who was behind the bombs.
Surayud had warned last week of possible large-scale attacks by Islamic militants during the New Year holidays.
However, that warning was for the nation's restive Muslim-majority south, where an ongoing insurgency has killed 1,700 people since January 2004.
An intelligence source told AFP that the attacks were likely politically motivated.
"The bombs are not involved with southern unrest... it is a political issue, it is undercurrents," the source said, but did not elaborate.
There has been relatively little public resistance to the recent coup, with small protests going ignored by the ruling junta, despite the fact that martial law remains in force three months after the coup.
Former premier Thaksin was in New York when the military overthrew his twice-elected government. Since then, he has been living in self-imposed exile abroad and is currently staying in Beijing.
He has expressed a wish to come back to Thailand, but the military fear his return may galvanise support in his north and north-east stonghold and spark protests.
- AFP
