The 2006 Bangkok bombings occurred on 31 December 2006 and 1 January 2007, during New Year's Eve festivities in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...

, Thailand. Four explosions went off almost simultaneously in different parts of the city at around 18:00 local time (11:00

UTC Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the primary time standard globally used to regulate clocks and time. It establishes a reference for the current time, forming the basis for civil time and time zones. UTC facilitates international communica ...

), followed by several more explosions within the next 90 minutes. Two explosions also occurred after midnight. In total, eight explosions were reported during the night. As of 1 January 2007, three people were confirmed dead and more than 38 injured. One additional bomb exploded inside a cinema, but went unreported until the next day due to fears of negative publicity. The next morning, a bomb exploded in a mosque in

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...

, the largest city in northern Thailand. Authorities ordered all public New Year's Eve events cancelled, including the countdown at the

CentralWorld CentralWorld (, styled as centralwOrld), is a shopping plaza and complex in the Siam area of Bangkok, in Thailand. It is the ninth-largest shopping center in the world. The complex, which includes a hotel and office tower, is owned by Central ...

shopping center and the alms-giving at

Sanam Luang Sanam Luang (, ; ), officially Thong Sanam Luang (), is a open field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand. Sanam Luang is in the Phra Nakhon District, the historic center of Bangkok. In the ''Roy ...

. Chiang Mai police claimed the Chiang Mai mosque's janitor confessed to making that bomb, and a man was arrested in Bangkok for carrying an explosive device. However, no one has ever claimed responsibility for the Bangkok bombings.

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Surayud Chulanont Surayud Chulanont (, , ; born 28 August 1943) is a Thai politician. He was the prime minister of Thailand and head of Thailand's interim government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, a trans ...

blamed the "old power clique" as the group responsible for the bombings, referring to the deposed government of

Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (, ; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai businessman and politician who was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Since 2009 he has also been a citizen of Montenegro. Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator A ...

as well as all those who had lost political power due to the 2006 military coup. Both the

Thai Rak Thai The Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT; , , ; "Thais Love Thais Party") was a list of political parties in Thailand, Thai political party founded in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under its founder, Prime Minister of Thailand, Prime Mini ...

party and deposed Premier Thaksin Shinawatra denied involvement. Surayud later backtracked and admitted that his claim that Thaksin-allies were responsible "was just an intelligence analysis" and was based on no solid evidence or information. The initials "IRK" were found written in marker in four places at three bomb sites. The IRK is an Afghanistan-trained urban guerrilla terrorism unit. Interior Minister Aree Wong-araya shrugged off suggestions that those responsible were Muslim terrorists. A meeting between Premier Surayud Chulanont and various security and intelligence agencies on the evening of 31 December failed to officially identify those for the attacks. On 1 January, Surayud announced that although the bombs had similar designs to those used by insurgents in Thailand's Muslim-dominated Southern provinces, closer inspection indicated no link, saying "I don't think they would come here as they could get lost in Bangkok." Police arrested more than a dozen individuals, including several military officers, on suspicion of being involved in the bombings. Junta-leader General

Sonthi Boonyaratglin Sonthi Boonyaratglin (, , ; born 2 October 1946) is a Thai former general who was Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for Democratic Reform, the military junta that ruled the kingdom.Bangkok Post
'Separatists' behind city bombs
19 March 2007 However, the junta downplayed the role of the southern separatists, claiming they had been hired by people connected to the political turmoil in Bangkok.

Bombings

Six explosive charges went off almost simultaneously in the early evening in Bangkok, killing three and injuring 38, as Thais were about to start celebrating New Year's Eve. * Victory Monument. Seventeen people were injured and two died of their injuries. One foreigner, a Hungarian, was among the injured. The bomb had been placed in a bus-stop shelter and went off at around 18:00, ripping through the bus stops, shattering windows at a nearby restaurants and sending debris in all directions. A second blast went off nearby shortly afterwards. * Khlong Toei, near Na Ranong intersection. A bomb hidden in a litter bin close to a Chinese spirit shrine exploded and injured three people, including a 10-year-old girl. A 61-year-old man died at the hospital from his injuries. The blast caused a secondary explosion of several

propane Propane () is a three-carbon chain alkane with the molecular formula . It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, but becomes liquid when compressed for transportation and storage. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum ref ...

gas cylinder A gas cylinder is a pressure vessel for storage and containment of gases at above atmospheric pressure. Gas storage cylinders may also be called ''bottles''. Inside the cylinder the stored contents may be in a state of compressed gas, vapor ov ...

s that were standing nearby. * Saphan Khwai intersection, Phaya Thai District. A bomb went off at a

police box A police box is a public telephone kiosk or callbox for the use of members of the police, or for members of the public to contact the police. It was used in some countries, most widely in the United Kingdom throughout the 20th century from th ...

, injuring two people. Witnesses claimed to have seen a man drop a

hand grenade A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a Shell (projectile), shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A mod ...

from a pedestrian bridge onto the police box. However, residue of C-4 and

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

explosives were found at the scene. *

Seacon Square Seacon Square is a large indoor shopping mall in Prawet, Bangkok. It was opened in 1994 in a ceremony presided over by Princess Sirindhorn. The shopping center has a gross leasable area of , a total area of and houses more than 300 stores. The b ...

Prawet Prawet (, ) is one of the Districts of Bangkok, 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. It is in the southeast. Neighboring districts are (from the east clockwise) Bang Phli district, Bang Phli (Samut Prakan province), Bang Na district, Bang Na, Phr ...

District. An unexploded bomb was discovered in a trash bin near a gold shop on the first floor of the shopping mall. It was removed to the car park, where it later exploded, creating panic but causing no injuries. Police ordered all shoppers to evacuate the mall, one of Bangkok's largest, and all shops were closed. * Khae Rai intersection, Mueang district, Nonthaburi Province (). Another police box was bombed, but no injuries were reported. *

Sukhumvit Sukhumvit Road (, , ), or Highway 3 (), is a major road in Thailand, and a major surface road of Bangkok and other cities. It follows a coastal route from Bangkok to Khlong Yai District, Trat border to Koh Kong, Cambodia. Sukhumvit Road i ...

Soi In Thailand, a ''soi'' ( ) is a side street that branches off of a major street (''thanon'', ). An alley is called a ''trok'' (). Overview Sois are usually numbered, and are referred to by the name of the major street and the number, as in "S ...

62. A third police box was bombed at the entrance of the soi, but no injuries were reported. * Major Cineplex Ratchayothin,

Phahonyothin Road Phahonyothin Road (, , ) or Highway 1 is a main road in Bangkok and one of the four primary highways in Thailand, which include Mittraphap Road (Highway 2), Sukhumvit Road (Highway 3), and Phet Kasem Road (Highway 4). It begins at Victory Mon ...

, Lat Yao, Chatuchak. A security guard found a suspicious black bag left unattended in a fast food outlet and placed it in a back room. Sometime afterwards, the bomb exploded, causing a blackout in the cineplex's retail area. There were no injuries. The cineplex owner did not alerted Phahonyothin police until later on 1 January, fearing negative publicity. Because of the attacks, the large New Year's celebrations at CentralWorld and

were cancelled. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayothin led a New Year "countdown" more than three hours early at the CentralWorld party, then told everyone to return home. Two more bombs exploded shortly after midnight, both near CentralWorld. Those injured included two Thais and six tourists: two English, one Irish, and three Serbs. * Best Sea Foods restaurant near Khlong Saen Saeb's Pratunam Pier and CentralWorld. Three foreign tourists and two Thais dining at the restaurant were injured. One foreigner had a leg blown off by the blast. * A public telephone booth at the pedestrian bridge linking CentralWorld and

Gaysorn Gaysorn Village (previously Gayphorn Plaza) is a building complex in the Ratchaprasong area of Bangkok. It also includes the Gaysorn Tower, an office tower block, and the Amarin Plaza shopping centre. The shopping mall building has five levels w ...

shopping malls. Several foreign tourists were injured. * Police found three more unexploded bombs in the area. Khaosan

Police investigated several other incidents: * A suspected bomb was found at Buddy Beer, a bar on

Khaosan Road Khaosan Road or Khao San Road (, , ) is a short street in central Bangkok, Thailand. It is in length and was constructed in 1892 during the reign of Rama V. It is in the Bang Lamphu area of Phra Nakhon District about north of the Grand Palace ...

, about half an hour after midnight. Tourists had already been ordered to leave the area. All Khaosan Road bars and shops were closed, and the street was barricaded and manned by armed forces. However, the package was found not to be a bomb. * About 01:00 police disabled a bomb at the

Suan Lum Night Bazaar Suan Lum Night Bazaar was a market in Bangkok's Pathum Wan district, at the intersection of Rama IV and Wireless/ Sathorn Roads, opposite Lumphini Park at the MRT's Lumphini Station. Located on land owned by the Crown Property Bureau. It opene ...

before it could explode.

Casualties

The wave of bombings claimed the lives of three people, all Thai nationals. Songkran Kanchana, 36, and Ekkachai Ruangpoom, 26, were both fatally injured at the Victory Monument bus stop, while Suvichai Nak-iam, 61, was killed in the Khlong Toei bombing. A total of 38 people were injured, including eight foreigners: two British, three

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...

, two

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

, and an American.

Forensic evidence

Police General Ajiravid Subarnbhesaj claimed that all eight bombs were placed in 3x5-inch boxes and detonated by digital alarm clock. Traces of M4 high explosive booster were found in all of the bombs. Other military ordnance sources claimed the bombs were all ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO)/ M4 bombs. This would make the bombs the same type as had been found in a car outside Thaksin Shinawatra's residence in August 2006. The police were criticised for barring Central Institute of Forensic Science acting director Pornthip Rojanasunand from collecting evidence at a bombing site in Pratunam. Pornthip called the police unprofessional because they mainly focused on the type of bomb that was used, rather than the identity of the bombers, and let city cleaners sweep up the site before the collection of evidence was completed. Prime Minister Surayud ruled out involvement of Southern insurgents. He claimed that forensic reports showed that the bombs were assembled "to look like those used by the Southern insurgents" but that detailed examination of the explosions and

modus operandi A (often shortened to M.O. or MO) is an individual's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as . Term The term is often used in ...

indicated no link.

Responsibility

Forewarning

Authorities had earlier warned of an escalation of the

South Thailand insurgency The Southern Thailand Insurgency (; ) is an ongoing conflict centered in southern Thailand. It originated in 1948 as an ethnic and religious separatist insurgency in the historical Malays (ethnic group), Malay Patani (historical region), Patani ...

during the New Year holiday. According to the Thai-language daily ''

Thai Rath ''Thairath'' (, lit. ''Thai State'') is a daily newspaper in Thai published in Bangkok and distributed nationwide. The paper is a broadsheet published with two sections. The first section is devoted to news. Although the news section is best kn ...

'', Thai Military Intelligence and the Special Branch received reports that there would be bombs in up to 30 locations in Bangkok and surrounding areas, especially popular shopping malls such as

Siam Paragon Siam Paragon () is a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of the largest malls in Thailand, along with Iconsiam, CentralWorld and Central WestGate. It is located right in front of Siam BTS station, an interchange station on both Sukhumvi ...

, The Mall

Bang Kapi Bang Kapi (, ) is one of the 50 districts (''khet'') of Bangkok, Thailand. It is bounded by other Bangkok districts (from north clockwise): Bueng Kum, Saphan Sung, Prawet, Suan Luang, Huai Khwang, Wang Thonglang, and Lat Phrao. Name The na ...

, and

Urban guerrillas

No one ever claimed responsibility for the bombings, and both the

Party and deposed Premier

insisted they were innocent. In the absence of concrete public evidence, theories abounded about those most likely behind the attacks. The initials "IRK" were found written in four places at three bomb sites: a pillar near a bus stop at Victory Monument, a phone booth near

shopping mall opposite CentralWorld, a phone booth near Pratunam Pier, and a phone booth near BigC Ratchadamri. The IRK is an

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

-trained

urban guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrorism, ...

terrorism unit. However, Interior Minister Aree Wong-araya shrugged off suggestions that those responsible were foreign militants. Senior junta leadership agreed that Muslim terrorists were not involved, and that the initials were meant to implicate the IRK. Police claimed the IRK graffiti was done by teenage gangs to frighten the public. Junta-leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin claimed he was "more than 100% certain" that the bombings were not perpetrated by southern insurgents and that even in the south, it was "no longer easy to perpetrate attacks". He said the bombings were done by people very well acquainted with the city, and added that even his own soldiers sometimes got lost in Bangkok. He insisted that it was "impossible" that the bombings had been prepared months in advance. Experts from the Department of Special Investigation noted the technique used was similar to that in the bombing of a

Bangkok Bank Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited (, Royal Thai General System of Transcription, RTGS: Thanakhan Krung Thep) is one of the largest commercial banks in Thailand. Its branch network includes over 800 branches as of May 2024, within Thailand, wit ...

branch in Amphoe Betong, Yala Province in 2006, where

Casio is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturing corporation headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Its products include calculators, mobile phones, digital cameras, electronic musical instruments, and analogue and digital watches. It ...

digital watches were used as timers. Stainless steel back covers of 200 and 201 series

Casio watches is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturing corporation headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Its products include calculators, mobile phones, digital cameras, electronic musical instruments, and analogue and digital watches. It w ...

were found at the Bangkok bomb sites.

"Old power clique"

Members of the ruling junta attributed the bombings to various groups. The day after the bombings, government security sources blamed the "old power clique," a presumed reference to members of the government of deposed Premier

. Other security sources suggested the bombings might provide a reason for the junta to seize Thaksin's sizeable personal assets. The

party denied involvement and warned the junta not to blame them without facts. Anti-Thaksin newspaper editor Sondhi Limthongkul said he believed the bombings were conducted by "undercurrents", supporters of the deposed government of

, who wanted to discredit the junta. He gave no evidence. A meeting between Premier

and various security and intelligence agencies late on the night of 31 December failed to identify anyone as behind the attacks. The next day, however, Surayud announced the bombings had nothing to do with the southern insurgency, since "I don't think they would come here as they could get lost in Bangkok." He claimed that the "old power clique" was the mastermind. "Based on the government's information and intelligence agencies, it was the work of people who lost power, but I cannot clearly say which group was behind it," he said. He claimed he was not referring only to the deposed government of Thaksin Shinawatra, but to all those who had lost political power due to the coup. Surayud later admitted that his claim that Thaksin allies were responsible "was just an intelligence analysis" and not based on solid evidence or information. Junta vice-chairman Saprang Kalayanamitr charged, "The evidence and intelligence information proves that the bombs were the dirty work of politicians who lost power and benefits. Some bad soldiers loyal to the bad politicians collaborated with them with the intention to topple this government." He claimed, "the bandits and terrorist groups in southern Thailand had no links or connections to the bombs in Bangkok." Saprang was harshly criticised by Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, a former military officer who was a member of the deposed

government. Chavalit dared Saprang to arrest all those behind the bombing. "Saprang Kalayanamitr claimed he already had pertinent information on the bombing, but he failed to take any action. This is gross incompetence," Chavalit said. He said the Council for National Security should examine among its ranks if it truly wanted to solve the case, alluding to speculation that the military had staged the bombing to justify its grab for power. A public opinion poll conducted by ABAC revealed that a majority of Bangkokians did not believe the junta's claim that the deposed government was behind the bombings. Just 11% said that they had "full confidence" that the government could handle the crisis.

Conflicts within the junta

A widely circulated theory posited that the

Council for National Security The Council for National Security (; ; abbreviated CNS (), was the military junta that ruled Thailand between its 2006 Thai coup d'état, coup d'état against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on 19 September 2006 until the later coup d'état on ...

itself planted the bombs to strengthen its own hand and discredit Thaksin, who remained highly popular with the public. Junta leader Sonthi denied the rumours on television, saying "I have risked myself to do what the people wished. Why should I do that? I love my people, and my country." Conflict between junta assistant secretary General Saprang Kalayamitr and First Army Region commander and Lt General

Prayuth Chan-ocha Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; , ; born 21 March 1954) is a former Thai politician, army officer and dictator who became the 29th prime minister of Thailand after seizing power in the 2014 coup d'état and served unt ...

were cited as a possible causes of the bombings and the coup rumours. Both men were potential heirs to the leadership of the junta after Sonthi Boonyaratglin would retire in September 2007.

Jemaah Islamiyah or southern insurgents

Some Thai intelligence officials have stated that they now believe the attacks were orchestrated and carried out by a combined effort between

Jemaah Islamiyah Jemaah Islamiyah (, ''al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmiyyah'', meaning "Islamic Congregation", frequently abbreviated JI) was a Southeast Asian Islamist militant group based in Indonesia, which was dedicated to the establishment of an Islamic state in ...

and the Patani United Liberation Organisation, contradicting initial announcements by the interim government that the attacks were not likely to have been related to the Southern insurgency. There is a 1,000,000

baht The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...

($35,700 US$) bounty for the arrest of Lohmueli Yusoh (alias Rusdi Pohseng), thought to be the leader of the attack. Later forensic investigations strengthened the theory that the Bangkok bombs were made using the same signature bomb-building techniques and materials as bombs used by southern insurgents.

Aftermath

Further bombings

1 January 2007 bombing

At 8.45 am on 1 January 2007, a motorcycle rider threw an improvised bomb into a mosque in Chang Klan Road in Chiang Mai, injuring four people, including the Burmese janitor, Nasis Ahamad. Nasis said a

grenade A grenade is a small explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a Shell (projectile), shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A mod ...

had been lobbed in, but an army bomb expert said the blast was caused by the premature explosion of a bomb being built by the mosque janitor. Police later said that Nasis confessed to carrying the small home-made bomb to the mosque then accidentally dropping it on the floor, causing it to explode. However, police are still investigating Nasis' motive for carrying the bomb, and have not yet charged Nasis, who is still in hospital, with any offence. Police reported their findings to community leaders, but were met with disbelief that a Muslim would bring a bomb into the mosque.

30 January 2007 bombings

On 30 January 2007, two explosions were reported in the headquarters of the ''Daily News'' newspaper and the Rama Garden Hotel's parking lot at around 1 am. Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont later declared that the explosions were caused by M79 grenades. He also noted that it would not be easy to find the bombers because not much shrapnel was found on the scene.

Security measures and junta responses

Several foreign embassies issued travel warnings to their citizens in Bangkok warning that further attacks are possible. The junta ordered the military to the streets of Bangkok to control the situation, with 6,000 checkpoints set up throughout the capital. Army commanders for the North, Northeast, and the South were placed on alert. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayothin ordered all 50 districts in Bangkok to collect all their rubbish bins. Junta head

Sonthi Boonyaratglin Sonthi Boonyaratglin (, , ; born 2 October 1946) is a Thai former general who was Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for Democratic Reform, the military junta that ruled the kingdom.hajj Hajj (; ; also spelled Hadj, Haj or Haji) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for capable Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetim ...

and flew back from Saudi Arabia to meet with the junta leadership in the afternoon of 1 January 2007 Later on that same day, assistant police commissioner Jongrak Juthanon was assigned to lead an investigation into the deadly incidents. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration initiated plans to spend 186 million

on installing 1,628

closed-circuit television Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of closed-circuit television cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signa ...

cameras throughout the capital in 2007, with plans for 504 cameras to be placed on pedestrian and traffic flyover bridges and low-population locations, while 1,124 cameras would be placed in more populated places like bus terminals and intersections.

Coup rumours

Rumors that the junta would use the bombings as a pretext to overthrow the government of Prime Minister

abounded. Junta leader Sonthi went on television to deny the rumours. "We love the people too much to do it," he said.

Economic impact

The

Stock Exchange of Thailand The Stock Exchange of Thailand (, ; SET) has been the sole stock exchange operator in Thailand since its establishment on 30 April 1975. As of 8 April 2025, with a market capitalization of US$380.19 billion (excluding mai) at an exchange rate ...

(SET) composite index fell 3.2% the day after the exchange opened after the New Year holiday. Thai shares declined another 1.67% on 4 January 2007. The declines followed massive losses in mid-December after the junta briefly introduced

capital controls Capital controls are residency-based measures such as transaction taxes, other limits, or outright prohibitions that a nation's government can use to regulate flows from capital markets into and out of the country's capital account. These meas ...

. The

Thai baht The baht (; , ; currency sign, sign: ฿; ISO 4217, code: THB) is the official currency of Thailand. It is divided into 100 ''satang'' (, ). Prior to decimalisation, the baht was divided into eight ''fueang'' (, ), each of eight ''at'' (, ). The ...

weakened slightly, trading at 36.15–17 to one United States dollar, against 36.05-10 at the close of trade on 29 December 2006. However, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister

Pridiyathorn Devakula Mom Rajawongse Pridiyathorn Devakula (; ; ; born 15 July 1947) is a Thai economist. He was the Governor of the Bank of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Following the 2006 Thai coup d'état he served as minister of finance and deputy prime minister in ...

claimed that the bombings "would not have an impact on this year's GDP."

Arrests

On 20 January 2007, some 15 military officers and civilians were arrested in

commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

raids regarding the bombings. Police invoked

martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...

, which empowered them to detain suspects without placing charges against them for seven days. Among those arrested were Lt. Col. Suchart Khadsungnone, an officer of

Sonthi Boonyaratglin Sonthi Boonyaratglin (, , ; born 2 October 1946) is a Thai former general who was Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for Democratic Reform, the military junta that ruled the kingdom.Lopburi Lopburi (, , ) is the capital city of Lopburi Province in Thailand. It is about northeast of Bangkok. It has a population of 58,000. The town ('' thesaban mueang'') covers the whole ''tambon'' Tha Hin and parts of Thale Chup Son of Muea ...

-based Special Warfare Command. Reporters who witnessed the questioning said the interrogators demanded the suspects provide alibis during the August 2006 Bangkok car bomb against deposed Premier

. The junta was not satisfied with the police investigation and arrests and planned to make a parallel inquiry. Junta head Sonthi warned the police chief not to seek scapegoats in the military. However, the junta's plans to launch a parallel inquiry were reversed after Police Chief

Kowit Wattana Kowit Wattana (; born 11 March 1947 in Phak Hai) is a Thai Police General and politician. From 2004 to 2007 he was the Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police. In 2008, he was Minister of the Interior, and from 2011 to 2012 Deputy Prime Mi ...

reported evidence to the junta's leaders. However,

Pallop Pinmanee Pallop Pinmanee (,, born 25 May 1936 in Sam Phran, Nakhon Pathom as ''Amnat Pinmanee'' (, ) is a retired Thai Army general who took part in several coups, ordered the massacre of insurgents at Krue Sae Mosque and allegedly played a role in th ...

, the former

Internal Security Operations Command Internal Security Operations Command (; ) or ISOC (; ) is the internal security agency and political arm of the Royal Thai Armed Forces. It was responsible for the suppression of leftist groups from the 1960s to the 1980s. During this period it ...

leader who was implicated in the attempted assassination of

, warned the junta not to trust the police. Maj-Gen

Khattiya Sawasdipol Khattiya Sawasdipol (; ; 2 June 1951 – 17 May 2010), alias Se Daeng (, 'red commander'), was a General officer in the Royal Thai Army, assigned to the Internal Security Operations Command, a political activist, and a book author. Khattiya beca ...

, an influential Army officer echoed Pallop's warning. Junta chief and Army Commander

Sonthi Boonyaratglin Sonthi Boonyaratglin (, , ; born 2 October 1946) is a Thai former general who was Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and former head of the Council for Democratic Reform, the military junta that ruled the kingdom. On 16 March 2007, the Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against a tall and thin man aged 25 to 30 with crippled leg, whom police believed had planted a bomb at the Major Ratchayothin shopping center on New Year's Eve. The man was seen on a closed circuit television camera in the shopping mall. The man was charged with possessing an explosive object, terrorism and trying to kill others, and his photo was shown to the media on 21 March 2007. On 22 March 2007, police posted photographs of two suspects who were caught on closed circuit television at the Seacon Square shopping center. On the evening of 22 March, Pratya Preechavej and Yutthaphong Kittisriworraphan told reporters of ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

'' newspaper that they were the men in police photos, but insisted were not the bombers. Both men were taken to a hotel on Sukhumvit Road by several senior officers and held from 10 pm until 2 am. They returned home at 4.30 am the next morning. Their story changed in a subsequent press conference at the Prawet police station, when Pratya claimed he had not worn a black jacket as did one of the men in police photos. Pratya also said he had a ponytail, and he almost never let down his hair – unlike the man in the photo – and had been accompanied by his sister. Junta chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin later said it was a case of mistaken identity, as both men looked similar to the suspected bombers.

In popular culture

* ''

Modernine TV Channel 9 MCOT HD () is a Thai state-owned free-to-air television network launched on 24 June 1955. It is owned by MCOT. History In 1949, Sanpasiri Wirayasiri, a foreign correspondent for the Publicity Department (present-day Public Rela ...

'' discussed 2006 Bangkok bombings on ''TimeLine'', 26 December 2016, in "Unregulated New Year".

References

External links

Thailand's Southern Insurgency

List of bomb victims

New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok

BBC News: Bangkok explosions leave two dead
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bangkok bombings, 2006 2006 murders in Thailand 2007 murders in Thailand 2006 bombings 2006 bombings Attacks during New Year celebrations Restaurant bombings in Asia December 2006 crimes December 2006 in Thailand Attacks on cinemas 2006 bombings Building bombings in Thailand Mosque bombings in Asia January 2007 crimes in Asia January 2007 in Thailand 2006 bombings Religiously motivated violence in Thailand Shopping mall bombings in Asia South Thailand insurgency 2006 bombings Terrorist incidents in Thailand in 2006 Terrorist incidents in Thailand in 2007 2006 building bombings 2007 building bombings Attacks on bus stations in Asia Attacks on shopping malls in Thailand Mass murder in 2006 Mass murder in 2007 21st-century mass murder in Thailand 21st-century attacks on mosques