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On Monday night, at 7pm local time, a three kilogram pipe bomb exploded outside Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine. At the time of writing, 20 hours after the incident took place, the blast had killed at least 22 people and wounded 123 others. The blast charred much of the surrounding area, mangling the shrine’s wrought iron gates, and obliterating several vehicles in the blast zone. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. Two other bombs were located with sniffer dogs and safely defused, and while there were rumors of other explosives downtown, none were confirmed and there have been no further incidents.
Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said the authorities had no idea about the attack, and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha described the bombing as “the worst incident that has ever happened in Thailand”.
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Located in a popular tourist area, the shrine is dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma. It’s extremely popular with Buddhists and Chinese tourists, and is considered a symbol of Thailand’s deep religious beliefs and culture. Some even believe the site holds mystical powers.
At least three Chinese, two Singaporeans, one Philippine national and two Hong Kong residents are believed to have been killed. The number of Chinese speaking casualties is so large that hospitals have put out calls for Chinese speakers to come in to assist with translations.
Security camera footage in the area captured a suspect fleeing the site, and authorities are currently searching for the individual. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan confirmed a suspect had been identified, “It is much clearer who the bombers are, but I can’t reveal right now”. However, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha elaborated that the suspect is believed to be from an anti-government group based in Thailand’s northeast—the area is the centre of the Red Shirt movement that opposes the military junta.
The shrine is close to the area that was occupied by anti-government protesters for several weeks in 2010. That occupation was violently broken up by the army, and several people were killed in the civil unrest that followed. Four years later, the same area was again the site of the anti-government demonstrations that resulted in the removal of the Yingluck Shinawatra-led government and a military coup. The country’s current military government has banned protests and suspended democracy for the past year.
Concerns have surfaced over the effect the bombings will have on the tourism industry, with the government calling the incident a bid to destroy the economy. Last year, hospitality was one of the country’s only sectors that showed growth. Much of that tourism was from China; but following the deaths of four Chinese and two Hong Kong nationals, Hong Kong travel advisories are recommending citizens cancel any nonessential trips to Bangkok.
In the wake of the bombing, the Thai baht has fallen to a six year low.