A powerful explosion ripped almost instantaneously through a busy intersection in Bangkok’s downtown shopping area yesterday, killing 22 people and injuring more than 100. Some of the victims were foreign tourists, and representatives of the country’s military government quickly stated that the bombs were indeed aimed at foreigners, and designed to undermine one of the country’s economic mainstays: tourism.
The blasts also occurred at one of the city’s most sacred sites, the Erawan Shrine, a Hindu Shrine that houses a statue of Phra Phrom, a Thai representation of the Hindu deity Brahma. The site, which is venerated by Buddhists, the kingdom’s dominant faith, is busy, both with foreign visitors and locals, especially in the early hours of the evening as shops and offices close and commuters head to near-by Chid Lom skytrain station.
The area was also the site of many of the violent pro and anti government demonstrations, which culminated in a bloody climax when troops cleared the area of red shirt demonstrators in May 2010. So far the Thai government has not pointed the finger at anyone in particular for the most recent attack. And no one has claimed responsibility for this act of terrorism.
International media quickly suggested Isis or Al Qaeda as possible culprits, while other pundits point to the on-going conflict in Thailand’s deep south. Others suspect that the tensions between the military government and its opposition, largely invisible since the coup in May 2014, might be the reason for this attack. As the military junta under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha continues to dismantle all vestiges of the democratically elected Shinawatra dynasty, and erodes democratic freedoms, some Thai political factions may be becoming increasingly frustrated. Security sources quoted in the Nation newspaper suspected domestic political motives for the attack.
The last major bomb in Bangkok went off on New Year’s Eve in 2006, three months after then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had been deposed in an earlier military coup. No one was apprehended for that attack. In April of this year, a large car bomb exploded in front of a shopping center on the island of Ko Samui. No one was apprehended for this crime either. Back in February two small devices exploded near the upmarket Siem Paragon, not far from today’s explosion. There were no casualties. At the time, the security forces promised tighter security and this is the first and far more devastating event in Bangkok since. Bombs like Monday night’s are rare occurrences in a city which is still considered one of the safest in Southeast Asia, despite its long running political tensions. The British Foreign Office is not advising people to cancel Thailand holidays and security around the capital is likely to be tightened in the coming days.
It remains to be seen how this act of terror will affect tourism, one of the country’s most important industries, with more than 24 million foreign visitors in 2014. How much the blast will shake the country’s ‘Land of Smiles’ reputation will probably depend on who the culprits are and whether they are apprehended quickly and credibly. If the motivation behind the attack remains murky, it could be damaging. And as the dust has yet to settle there are reports of a second bomb or hand grenade thrown at Sathorn Pier, a popular tourist spot on the Chao Praya river at 1.20pm local time today. No one was injured in this second attack.
Tom Vater is a journalist who writes about Bangkok for the Daily Telegraph
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