Hua Hin resort hit by twin bomb blasts - one dead

[Nirish guy]

Thailand bombs: Hua Hin resort hit by twin blasts

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-37049989

[Smiles]

Apparently happened around 10:30pm last night. Soi Bintabat is Party Central in Hua Hin, always very busy at around that time, full of tourists. Our townhouse is about four blocks away, but we heard nothing. There should be more news about this today. Apparently one poor soul was killed ... a Thai lady who operates a Som Tum cart. Twenty or so foreigners injured.

http://m.bangkokpost.com/topstories/1059140

[Up2U]

BOMBS HIT 4 THAI PROVINCES, KILLING 4 ON QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HOLIDAY
By Khaosod English - August 12, 2016
Two bombs went off Friday morning at a clock tower near Wat Hua Hin
BANGKOK — At least four people have died in a string of bomb attacks across the southern region on the beginning of a long weekend vacation marking Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday.... (read more)...
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2016/08/12/bombs-hit-4-thai-provinces-killing-3-on-queen-birthday/

Apparently coordinated attacks on Friday morning followed

[Smiles]

Some not so pretty photos. (Both copied from a ThaiVisa thread on the HH bombings).
I'm not particularly naive regarding incidents like this in-the-world, but it's always a shock when they happen in one's back yard.


This little corner bar in which I have knocked down numerous beers over the years.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/ha%20hin%20bombing2_zpsprgrzrzy.png




Say no more ...


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v18/sawatdeephotos/Hua%20Hin%20bombings_zps0en0pkgd.jpg


I have not yet gone downtown, so no idea whats happening. I doubt the whole city has been shut down, but certainly the Entertaiment Zone will be a lonely and forlorn neighbourhood tonight.

[Surfcrest]

So, what are the Thai new agencies saying about the source of all these bombings, if they know they are all somehow connected? Is this ISIS or the continuing conflict in the South or does this have anything to do with the vote last Sunday and the results?

Surfcrest

[Moses]

So, what are the Thai new agencies saying about the source of all these bombings, if they know they are all somehow connected? Is this ISIS or the continuing conflict in the South or does this have anything to do with the vote last Sunday and the results?

Surfcrest

Bombs are too small in compare with typical ISIS tactic. It looks more like a domestic fighting. IMHO it is result of mafia's tensions or ultra-right wing of opposition.

[Smiles]

Nonsense. These bombs were planned by the same group, at at least groups who have the same agenda.
There is no 'mafia' in Thailand which works on a national scale with the exception of the Police which is by far the largest mafia of them all. So, do you think the Police did this? I very much doubt it. What would be their motive?

I have no idea which 'group'(s) had their evil little hands on this, but I'm pretty sure it is political.
Think on this: (1) It's just a week after the nation plebiscite on the new constitution which was won essentially ~ by a landslide ~ the Army and gives them vast powers, now 'legitimised'. (2) It's the day of the Thai Queens birthday ... a celebration deeply loved by the Army. (3) It's very close to being a year now since the deadly Erawan bombing in Bangkok . . . on the Army's watch. (4) All the bombings happened in the South or South Central, all yellow-shirt country, and many parts of which have seen much violence, by the Army (and themselves), over the years.

[Moses]

IMHO it is result of mafia's tensions or ultra-right wing of opposition.

Nonsense.

So, why you wrote "nonsense"?

[Smiles]

So, why you wrote "nonsense"?
Because you wrote nonsense. For some odd reason I thought that was obvious.

[frequentfliers]

Nonsense. These bombs were planned by the same group, at at least groups who have the same agenda.
There is no 'mafia' in Thailand which works on a national scale with the exception of the Police which is by far the largest mafia of them all. So, do you think the Police did this? I very much doubt it. What would be their motive?

I have no idea which 'group'(s) had their evil little hands on this, but I'm pretty sure it is political.
Think on this: (1) It's just a week after the nation plebiscite on the new constitution which was won essentially ~ by a landslide ~ the Army and gives them vast powers, now 'legitimised'. (2) It's the day of the Thai Queens birthday ... a celebration deeply loved by the Army. (3) It's very close to being a year now since the deadly Erawan bombing in Bangkok . . . on the Army's watch. (4) All the bombings happened in the South or South Central, all yellow-shirt country, and many parts of which have seen much violence, by the Army (and themselves), over the years.
Lets hope it does not get worse.

[Moses]

Because you wrote nonsense. For some odd reason I thought that was obvious.

Yeah, sorry, I forgot: red-shirts are so peaceful! And were very peaceful in 2010... yeah...

[frequent]

Not sure why everyone is still debating who's to blame. The Prime Minister told us last night it's all Thaksin's fault because he disagreed with the referendum result. Don't you guys understand? Everything that goes wrong or is wrong in Thailand is always the fault of those damn Shinawatras

[Smiles]

Yeah, sorry, I forgot: red-shirts are so peaceful! And were very peaceful in 2010... yeah...
Where did I say anything about red shirts? The only colour I alluded to in my post was 'yellow'. (For the record: I have massive disdain for both colours)
My 'nonsense' point was regarding your statement that these bombings may well be associated to some kind of 'mafia'. And that my dear Moses, is just nonsense.

[Surfcrest]

Well, if too much time goes by it will all end up like the 9-1-1 conspiracy theories and someone will blame the government for staging it to achieve greater gains...such as what's being tossed about in Istanbul and Ankara with the latest Coup attempt in Turkey. The current government is in a unique position to seize relevant CCTV footage and to round up whatever suspects they please for intensive questioning. What's the delay?

Surfcrest

[Oliver]

I assume that there weren't enough young Burmese fishermen around the areas where the bombs were detonated.

[Old git]

"The current government is in a unique position to seize relevant CCTV footage and to round up whatever suspects they please for intensive questioning. What's the delay?"

I know the centre of Hua Hin very well - the bomb locations appear to have been chosen to minimise the likelihood of CCTV coverage.

That said, I don't readily credit the government claims that it's nothing to do with the Islamic separatists. The other anti government elements in the country are broadly on the same side as the bar girls, so it seems unlikely that they would terrorise their own..

[Smiles]

The current government is in a unique position to seize relevant CCTV footage and to round up whatever suspects they please for intensive questioning. What's the delay? Surfcrest
Surfcrest, I wouldn't jump on that scenario too quickly. The Bintabat 'entertainment zone' is in a very old part of Hua Hin town (thus it's funkiness) and I rather doubt there would be very many CCTV cameras. I've never seen any myself, though that is not a particularly great handle to hold onto.
The better possibility would be private cell phone cameras, but I'd make a reasonable guess those filmings would more often than not be after the fact, not during.

Anyway, the Thai police are essentialy useless when it comes to a professional gathering of evidence western-style. They are much better at stopping Thai people (plus the odd farang) driving down the road in order to steal 100 or 200 baht from them ... no matter whether the Thai folks are guilty of doing anything illegal at all. They are extremely proficient in that area of police work.

[cdnmatt]

That said, I don't readily credit the government claims that it's nothing to do with the Islamic separatists. The other anti government elements in the country are broadly on the same side as the bar girls, so it seems unlikely that they would terrorise their own..

Not to mention, why would they go all the way down south to places like Trang? If it was a militant faction of the red shirts, wouldn't they have stuck with Bangkok, like they normally do?

Plus from what I know, the militant factions within the red shirts could care less about affecting the tourism industry. It's simply not in their game plan really at all. They're far more interested in disrupting government, not tourism.

[Old git]

Latest reports say the SIM cards used on the phones that triggered the blasts were registered in Malaysia..

[Surfcrest]

When I think back to August of last year, when they were investigating the bombings at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, where 20 people died and 125 were injured...they got a description of the suspects and then they reviewed the footage around the perimeter of the crime until the found a match. Then they simply look at the direction they are coming from , going to and find more footage that takes them back to how they traveled to the crime. That's not to say they got the right people for that crime or not.

In Canada, for example, the process for the police of getting CCTV footage gets slowed down by warrants and judges and bureaucracy and quite often that footage has expired before it can be obtained. I would think the situation to be quite a bit easier for the Thai authorities and the extra power they would have, knowing the government has a very keen interest or may even be directly involved with the Thai police.

They tied the suspects of the Erawan Shrine bombings to the deportation of Uyghur people back to China. Whether they got they got it right in that case...I would expect a similar investigation at all sites until they find someone and link that person back to the others.

I think I have a lot more confidence in this government to figure this one out and bring someone(s) to justice inevitably, more so than some of the democratically elected governments in the past.

Surfcrest

[Smiles]

" ... They tied the suspects of the Erawan Shrine bombings to the deportation of Uyghur people back to China. Whether they got they got it right in that case...I would expect a similar investigation at all sites until they find someone and link that person back to the others ... '
There's a very interesting article in 'Forbes' (of all places) regarding the arrests and investigation into the Erawan bombing: http://www.forbes.com/sites/susancunningham/2015/12/23/bangkok-shrine-bombing-case-pretty-much-closed/#7c8dc0a42564

[Up2U]

I think I have a lot more confidence in this government to figure this one out and bring someone(s) to justice inevitably, more so than some of the democratically elected governments in the past.

Surfcrest
Very debatable. There may be arrests but that should surprise no one. As an example.... https://medium.com/@zenjournalist/coupmakers-haunted-dreams-b140b14cca79#.88mbvxo3a

[Up2U]

MOTHER’S DAY BOMBINGS: ARREST ON OIL RIG, UNKNOWN NUMBER DETAINED BY JUNTA
By Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer - August 14, 2016
BANGKOK — Police announced Sunday morning they have made an arrest in connection with a wave of bombing and arson attacks in seven provinces that left four dead.

On Saturday, officers went to an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Thailand where they arrested Sakarin Karuehat with a court-approved warrant in connection with the a fire at a Tesco-Lotus in Nakhon Sri Thammarat province.... (read more)... http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2016/08/14/mothers-day-bombings-arrest-oil-rig-unknown-number-detained-junta/

[Up2U]

Mon Aug 15, 2016
Thailand avoids linking bloody insurgency to tourist site blasts
By Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Andrew R.C. Marshall | BANGKOK
Within hours of last week's deadly bomb and arson attacks in Thailand, police and senior officials publicly ruled out any link to foreign militants and insisted the perpetrators, as yet unidentified, were homegrown.

But they also doubted the involvement of Thailand's most violent homegrown militants: the Malay-Muslim insurgents fighting a bloody separatist war in the country's three southernmost provinces, where similar bombings are grimly routine.... (read more)... http://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-security-blast-idUSKCN10Q0DY?il=0

[Surfcrest]

At least 15 people detained for suspected involvement in last week's bombings and arson in seven provinces will be taken to the police Crime Suppression Division and charged on Friday, the National Council...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1065016/15-detainees-to-be-charged-with-recent-bombings-fires

[Up2U]

At least 15 people detained for suspected involvement in last week's bombings and arson in seven provinces will be taken to the police Crime Suppression Division and charged on Friday, the National Council...

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1065016/15-detainees-to-be-charged-with-recent-bombings-fires

Another report from a different news source (note the median age of those charged is 58)...MILITARY REVEALS IT’S HELD 17 BOMBING SUSPECTS SINCE ATTACKS
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter - August 18, 2016

BANGKOK — The military Thursday announced it has been holding 17 suspects since almost immediately after last week’s southern attacks and will hand them over to civilian police.... (more).. http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2016/08/18/military-reveals-held-17-bombing-suspects-since-attacks/

[Up2U]

ARMY BACKTRACKS ON CLAIMS OF ELDERLY TERROR SUSPECTS’ LINK TO BOMB ATTACKS
By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter - August 19, 2016
BANGKOK — Despite its previous statement to the media, the military now says 15 people under arrest for allegedly plotting insurrection against the state had nothing to do with the bomb attacks in the south last week.... (read more).... http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2016/08/19/army-backtracks-claims-elderly-terror-suspects-link-bomb-attacks/

[Up2U]

HERE’S WHY EXPERTS BELIEVE BRN WAS BEHIND ATTACKS
By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter - August 19, 2016
BANGKOK — A number of security analysts said the evidence now suggests beyond a reasonable doubt that insurgents fighting for independence in the Deep South were behind the bomb attacks in southern Thailand last week.

While the authorities continue to insist that the ethnic-religious conflict had nothing to do with the bombings which hit on the Queen’s birthday, the scholars point to methods and motives they say leaves the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, or BRN, the only viable perpetrators.... (read more)... http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2016/08/19/heres-experts-believe-brn-behind-attacks/

[Up2U]

OIL RIG WORKER FREED BUT STILL FACES CHARGES
By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter - August 19, 2016
NAKHON SI THAMMARAT — A 32-year-old Chiang Mai man accused of participating in the wave of terror attacks in southern Thailand last week has been released from military custody, police said Friday.

But police said they will file explosives-related charges against Sakarin Karuehat next week,... (read more)...
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2016/08/19/oil-rig-worker-freed-still-faces-charges/

[Up2U]

Tue Aug 23, 2016
Bomb blasts kill one, wound 30 in southern Thailand: police
One Thai person was killed and 30 wounded when two bombs exploded late on Tuesday near a hotel in the southern Thai coastal town of Pattani, police said, less than two weeks after a series of unexplained blasts hit the south.... (read more)... http://www.reuters.com/article/us-thailand-security-blast-idUSKCN10Y2H6

[Up2U]

GOVT CONDEMNS ‘BARBARIC’ BOMB ATTACK ON DEEP SOUTH HOTEL
By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter - August 24, 2016
PATTANI — The government on Wednesday condemned a twin car bomb at a hotel in the southern border province of Pattani that left one person dead and at least 30 others injured, including women and children.

The attacks, which included a use of stolen ambulance, came nearly two weeks after the wave of explosions and firebombs across seven provinces... (read more)... http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2016/08/24/govt-condemns-barbaric-bomb-attack-deep-south-hotel/

[Up2U]

POLICE RELEASE BOMBERS’ SKETCHES, WILL SEEK WARRANTS
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen, Staff Reporter - August 24, 2016
BANGKOK — Police on Wednesday released sketched drawings of four men responsible for the bomb attacks in the resort town of Hua Hin and southern province of Phang Nga during the Mother’s Day vacation two weeks ago.... (read more)... http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2016/08/24/police-release-bombers-sketches-will-seek-arrest-warrants/