New Year's Eve Terrorist Attack in Bangkok

Sunday, December 31, 8:00 AM Arizona time; 10:00 PM Bangkok Time.
I awoke a few moments ago (Sunday morning, December 31), in Arizona, to the horrible news of coordinated terrorist bombings in Bangkok. One of the bombs exploded in the general area of the city where I live. I received the news first via an e-mail from the American Embassy in Bangkok advising me to stay indoors. Here's the text of the frightening e-mail:

A series of bombs exploded Sunday evening December 31, 2006 in several locations in the Bangkok metropolitan area. There are preliminary reports of injuries and possibly a few fatalities. Local authorities are reported to have ordered the cancellation of all public New Year’s celebrations in Bangkok. At present there are no known American casualties.

The Department of State and the American Embassy in Bangkok urge all American citizens in Bangkok to stay indoors and to avoid all public gatherings. Please monitor local news channels or CNN for further information.

For years now, expats like myself have been expecting the Muslim insurgency in the south of Thailand, which has turned that part of the country into a war zone, to spread to Bangkok, but it is unclear if the Bangkok bombings are connected to the Muslim terrorists, inasmuch as no one has claimed responsibility. Regardless, this unprecedented attack has major implications for the country and for me.

Here's the latest news article from The Bangkok Post:


COORDINATED BANGKOK BOMBS KILL 2; New Year's Eve Countdown cancelled

(BangkokPost.com)

At least six bombs or grenades have exploded in Bangkok early on New Year's Eve. Two people are reported to have been killed, about 25 have been wounded.

Bangkok authorities ordered all public New Year's Eve parties cancelled. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin appeared at the huge Bangkok Countdown 2006 venue and told the crowd to "go home and stay in peace."

There had been confusion for an hour over whether New Year's parties would be permitted after the bombing. New Year's is the biggest public party in Thailand.

The national government indicated celebrations might proceed including - especially - the massive and internationally famous New Year's Countdown outdoors party attended by upwards of half a million people outside CentralWorld near Siam Square in central Bangkok.

Police Commissioner Kowit Wattana, at a televised news conference, said, "Don't be afraid, but be careful," and urged Bangkokians not to cancel New Year's Eve plans.

But the capital was extremely tense. All major department stores, due to stay open until late for holiday shopping, were all shut by 8 p.m. including the luxury Emporium and Paragon stores in the main tourist areas of Sukhumvit and Siam Square. Central, the biggest Thai department store operator, closed its stores.

Many would-be party-goers headed for home, either because the party mood has faded, or because they were unwilling to risk a public party.

By the time Mr Apirak personally ordered the Countdown to halt, the mood was off anyhow.

Earlier, government spokesman Yongyuth Malyalarp said the capital should remain calm and alert, and keep an eye out for unusual activity. He said police had been ordered on high alert.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said people hoping to celebrate the new year should avoid crowded areas.

Early reports said there were six explosions in various parts of the capital. Two were reported near the Klong Toey market, where one person was killed, and near the busy Victory Monument, where two people were reported killed and more than a dozen wounded.

Graphic footage shown on television showed damaged vehicles and blood-stained streets and pavements.

TV reports said a man was seen throwing a grenade off a pedestrian overpass near a police box in the Saphan Kwai area of Bangkok, injuring several people in the explosion.

At Seacon Square in eastern Bangkok, Asia's largest mall, an explosion in the outdoor parking lot sent hundreds of shoppers scrambling, but no injurites were reported.

Shoppers who called BangkokPost.com said the mall was evacuated and shuttered for the night.

Another explosion was reported from Sukhumvit Soi 62, a major intersection with the capital's main expressway system in southeast Bangkok, and another in suburban Nonthaburi province north of the city centre.

"There was no warning. It is quite shocking. We've got at least one child very seriously injured in my area and others are injured," said Police Maj-Gen Anand Srisiran, chief of Metropolitan Police District Five.

Witnesses told police in some places that they saw people throwing what looked to be grenades shortly before the explosions.

New Year's Eve parties were just kicking off when the bombs began going off around sundown at 6 p.m.

The coordinated attacks are unprecedented in Bangkok.

However, political feelings have run high for more than a year, and there have been reports of political violence aimed against the military junta which ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Sept 19 - primarily the suspected burning of schools.

In addition, some intelligence sources had suggested in the past two weeks that Islamist extremists leading the southern insurgency might try to spread their attacks to the capital. They have never operated out of the deep South.

The Bangkok bombings, however, bore little resemblance to bomb attacks in the South, which usually involve improvised explosive devices (IEDs) copied from the Iraq model, and set off by mobile phones, and vehicle bombs, especially in motorcycles.

Except for the insurgency in the four southernmost provinces, there has been no deadly political violence in Thailand for more than 14 years, when a popular protest overthrew the last military government. In that case, the violence and deaths were caused by the military government and armed forces.

Martial law was lifted in Bangkok and surrounding provinces just a month ago, but the military is authorised to act when necessary. The coup passed its 100-day anniversary on Dec 28.

The junta leader and army commander, Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, is currently out of Thailand, on the Haj in Saudi Arabia, and will not return until Thursday.

Sunday, December 31, 9:45 AM Arizona time; 11:45 PM Bangkok Time.
I telephoned a friend of mine in Bangkok at a few minutes before the new year, Bangkok time. He was at home watching CNN on cable TV. At the time of the bombings, he and another friend of mine were eating dinner at a restaurant nearby. My friend found out about the bombings from a telephone call from his Thai girlfriend. The initial consensus seems to be that the bombings were perpetrated by supporters of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin, and not by Muslim extremists from the south of Thailand.

Sunday December 31, 11:00 AM Arizona time; Monday January 31, 1:00 AM Bangkok Time.
A second wave of bombings hit Bangkok shortly after midnight, New Year's Eve. This is really scary for me because tourists were targeted and the bombs exploded in areas where I frequent, not too far from my apartment. As I read the news report, I could easily picture each of the places mentioned. I'm sick for the foreigners and the Thai's who were severely injured. I know that people first want to know how many victims were killed, and feel some relief if there are no reported fatalities straight away. But, I doubt that this is much of a consolation to the Canadian tourist who had his leg blown off while he was eating dinner in a well-known seafood restaurant, which borders the canal that runs past my soi. Here's the latest news report from The Nation newspaper:

Two more bombs explode at Central World, Pratunam

Two more bombs exploded in the heart of Bangkok once the new year started, severely injuring many foreign tourists and some Thais.

The two bombs exploded nearly at the same time seconds after the new year started.

The first bomb exploded at the Best Sea Foods restaurant on the Saen Saeb Canal near the Pratunam Pier just seconds after the New Year countdown ended.

Three foreigners and two Thais were injured. One of the foreigners had one leg amputated by the blast. The foreign tourists were having dinner at the restaurant.

Police said the bomb was hidden in a bumper tire at the pier.

The second bomb exploded at a public telephone booth at the pedestrian flyover linking Central World and Kesorn Plaza. Several foreigners were injured and rushed to hospitals.

It was fortunately that the New Year countdown event at Central World was earlier cancelled by 8 pm and thousands of revellers had already dispersed but many were still wandering around.

Police had to ask tourists and revellers to try to leave the area as soon as possible for fear that there could be another bomb.

Police said the bomb near Central World might be planted shortly before it exploded as police earlier checked the area but did not find it.

There were rumours of bomb explosions in many areas throughout the night and objects suspected to be bombs were sighted in several areas.

A suspected bomb was located at the Buddy Bar on Khao Sarn Road about half an hour after midnight and tourists were evacuated from the area.

By 1 am, police also disposed another bomb at the Lumpini Night Bazaar before it explodes.

Sunday December 31, 9:45 PM Arizona time; Monday January 1, 11:45 AM Bangkok Time.
One of the Thai TV stations has just reported that a grenade was lobbed into a mosque in Chiang Mai, Thailand's second largest city, injuring four people. Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the leader of the coup, cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia and will return to Bangkok Monday afternoon. General Sonthi, a Muslim, was in Saudi Arabia on a religious pilgrimage. A government spokesman said that a meeting of security and intelligence agencies at the Internal Security Operations Command head office late Sunday night failed to establish culprits behind the bomb attacks.

Sunday December 31, 9:50 PM Arizona time; Monday January 1, 11:50 AM Bangkok Time.
One of the nine bombs exploded in Nonthaburi, which is a province adjacent to northern Bangkok (the notorious Bang Khwan Prison is there). In fact, Nonthaburi is part of Bangkok, in the same way that, say, the Bronx is adjacent to Manhattan and part of New York City. At any rate, I have a good friend who lives there, an Australian woman and 16+ year resident of Bangkok. I e-mailed her to make sure that she was safe, and I received this reply:

Yes, fortunately am fine, but the bomb did go off close by, I was at home at the time and all evening in fact, so no worries, thanks for asking...wow this is something else...horrible...very sad all round.

No one is sure who is responsible...there were more placed around but were defused...

I am surpised that there was not more damage....

HOpe you have a great New Year and will see you soo

Tuesday January 2, 00:30 AM Arizona time; Tuesday January 2, 02:30 PM Bangkok Time.
As of now, three Thais were killed and 36 people were wounded, 27 of them Thai and nine foreign tourists, in the twin New Year's Eve bombings. The offical government line seems to be that "dark forces" from the former government of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin, caused the bombings:

“From the evidence we have gathered, there is a slim chance that it is related to the southern insurgency,” Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said. “It is likely related to people who lost their political benefits,” he said, referring to Mr. Thaksin’s ousted government.

The press seems to agree. In fact, right now, no one knows. There are other conspiracy theories, but they're not worth mentioning.

Sunday January 7, 11:45 AM Arizona time; Monday January 8, 1:45 AM Bangkok Time. The bombings took place one week ago today. It is now certain that there were nine coordinated bombs. No one has been arrested nor charged and no one has claimed responsibility. The common belief is that rogue military and police personnel loyal to the deposed prime minister were responsible, but that is unproven and there are other theories as well. Former Mr. Everything lives comfortably in China for the time being, and denies any involvement, which, to my mind, is probably true. The country's confidence in the new government has been severely shaken and it's popularity is in decline. There is visible increased security throughout Bangkok. Here are two recent e-mails I received from friends in Bangkok:

1. "Thanks very much for the telephone call, and the message again. Everything seems very quiet and back to normal again in Bangkok since New Year's Eve. But soldier guards are patroling in many of the targeted places with rifles in hand. At least there seems to be lots of security now, and everyone seems to be going about their business as usual. May tourists continue to be circulating around the city."

2. "Yes the entire thing is so disturbing and the only topic of conversation these days, folk are most disheartened. And rightly so…feels a bit like Spain or something of that nature. Crazy…and totally unprecedented in the capital and to say we should expect more, great for tourism that tack…

"Well, glad that you have had time with your family and that you are coming back soon."

"See you when I do…"

This ends the post "New Year's Eve Terrorist Attack in Bangkok." I will continue reporting on events in Thailand and my experiences living in Bangkok, in my post "Living Under a Military Dictatorship," which I hope to update at least weekly. Check it out by clicking here and reading entries following "Coup Day 101."