Police tighten security after bombings at four branches of Bangkok Bank

BANGKOK, Feb 28 (TNA) — Police tightened security in the capital after bombs exploded at the Bangkok Bank branches in Silom and in Phra Pradaeng early Sunday, while bombs at two other bank branches failed to function.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said that the bombings at four  Bangkok Bank offices were not beyond expectation, explaining that he believed the attacks were intended to create turmoil.

Expressing his concerns over the political impact on the country’s economic recovery, the prime minister said he had ordered security to be stepped up and for more police checkpoints in the capital, while calling for the public to help notifying the police regarding suspicious or unusual incidents.

The incidents came within earlier expectations after nine Supreme Court Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions judges on Friday ordered the confiscation of a predominant portion of the frozen assets of fugitive, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Despite tighter security at the homes of the nine judges and at sensitive locations in the capital, the first bombing took place Saturday night at Bangkok Bank’s Silom Road headquarters. The bomb damaged glass doors and windows at the entrance of the bank building.

Another grenade was found shortly after at Bangkok Bank’s Rama II branch in outer Bangkok. Police believe that the bombers wanted to create unrest in the country and that were explosives experts who could set charges to alarm the public without causing much actual damage.

The third and fourth bombings took place at Bangkok Bank’s Phra Pradaeng branch in neighbouring Samut Prakan province, where a bomb shattered glass and the bank’s ceiling, while the fourth bomb was at the bank’s Srinakarind branch in eastern Bangkok, but it failed to detonate.

The fifth and last reported incident occurred before dawn Sunday near a Buddhist temple in Bangkok’s Taling Chan district where a small bomb exploded with causing significant damage.

No casualties were reported in any of the five incidents.

Anti-government protesters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD)  have charged repeatedly that Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda was behind a bloodless coup in September 2006 which toppled the elected government of Mr Thaksin. Gen Prem, a former prime minister, is now also an honorary adviser of Bangkok Bank, Thailand’s largest commercial bank.

Ten days ago, on February 19, the UDD rallied at Bangkok Bank headquarters on Silom Road. (TNA)