No special law needed to contend with Bangkok bombers, Prayut says

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha. The Nation/ANN

THAILAND–The spate of bomb blasts in Bangkok does not warrant the invoking of a special law to respond to them, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Friday.

The spate of bomb blasts in Bangkok does not warrant the invoking of a special law to respond to them, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Friday.

In the morning, Prayut urged people not to panic as the reports of the blasts came in and ordered police to rush to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Prayut, who is also the defence minister, also ordered police to step up security and appealed for people to report any irregularities they see.

The incidents took place as Thailand hosts regional summits, including for the 52nd Asean foreign ministers gathering, the post ministerial conferences and related meetings from July 30 to August 3 in Bangkok.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are attending the Asean Regional Forum held in Bangkok earlier today. He arrived in Bangkok on Thursday and attended an Asean-US meeting, and today he joined the Asean Regional Forum.

The were many locations where the bombs went off. Five of them occurred at the Government Complex (B Building) on Chaeng Watthana road, a spot near Chong Nonsee station on the BTS Skytrain line, Soi Rama IX, the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters, and the Office of the Permanent Secretary For Defence (Sri Samarn Road).

The Nation/ANN

The Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) denied reports that certain parts of Bangkok have been declared special security zones and placed under tight security in the wake of the blasts in the different parts of the capital.

ISOC spokesperson Maj-General Thanathip Sawangsaeng confirmed that the reports circulating on social media were just rumours.

After the blasts, key politicians and ministers came forward to condemn the incidents while urging that people remain calm. Many key locations, including transport sites, have seen security stepped up.

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob ordered state agencies to increase security for all modes of transport in the wake of the sporadic explosions in the morning.

Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana on Friday afternoon added his voice to calls for the public to stay calm.

The Pheu Thai Party’s chief strategist Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan on Friday afternoon condemned the people behind the series of bomb blasts and called on the government to bring them to justice as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, two men were arrested early on Friday aboard a south-bound bus in Chumphon province on suspicion of placing two fake homemade bombs in front of the Royal Thai Police headquarters on Thursday evening.

There are no indications from the authorities that they are linking that event with the blasts of the following day.

Police cordoned off the section of Rama I Road in front of the headquarters on Thursday night when two boxes with flashing LED lights were spotted under a main sign.

A team of explosive ordnance disposal officers was sent in to check and found a potato chip box and a juice box made to look like homemade bombs. They contained a detonator circuit board and metal pellets, but no explosives. /jpv