Thailand rocked by multiple bomb blasts, killing at least 4

Asia-Pacific, News August 12, 2016 , by IRIA No Comments

Thailand rocked by 13 bombs in one day in which at least 4 were killed and dozens injured

BANGKOK (Thailand) — A string of bomb blasts rocked Thailand, killing at least four people and injuring more than 30, including foreign tourists, police said Friday.

Five provinces in Thailand have been hit by thirteen bombings in less than a day, according to authorities.

Twin bombs exploded in the popular beach resort of Hua Hin late on Thursday, killing one woman and wounding more than 20 others. They were followed by two more on Friday morning that killed another person.

A further two blasts struck on Friday in the popular tourist town of Phuket, while two more bombs were reported in the southern provinces of Trang and Surat Thani, in each of which one person was killed.

The Thursday night blasts in Hua Hin were spaced roughly 45 minutes apart. The injured included three Italians, three Dutch nationals, three Germans and one Austrian, according to a police report. The rest were mostly Thai street vendors in the area.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has ordered emergency security measures and has urged law enforcement agencies to beef up security – especially at tourist destinations and other landmark areas.

No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts. However, the leader of the country’s military government suggested the attacks were a reaction to voters approving a constitution last weekend that would entrench the army’s political power.

“These incidents are different from the usual terrorism acts, they are more local sabotage on certain locations and provinces,” Deputy Police Spokesman Maj. Gen. Piyapan Pingmuang said at a news conference Friday.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute for Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University told Al Jazeera: “I think this has to do with domestic politics. It has something to do with anti-regime sentiments – anti-regime people who want to send a message that they don’t like the outcome of the referendum.”

Over the past decade, the country has been divided between supporters of populist governments and backers of Thailand’s conservative military establishment. Street protests were occasionally accompanied by isolated shootings or bombings before the military seized power.

While small bombings are common in Thailand during periods of heightened political tension, but it is rare for tourist areas to be targeted.