Posted on 08/21/2005 2:59:49 AM PDT by Northern Alliance
A quick-thinking border patrol policeman saved a number of lives yesterday after spotting a bomb on a table at a shophouse restaurant in tambon Sateng Nok in Yala province's Muang district, and managing to alert people to quickly vacate the area just seconds before it exploded.
The explosion at the restaurant, which had been adorned with sky blue coloured flags denoting the sale of low-priced goods, was the worse of two separate bomb blasts in the deep South yesterday.
The blasts came just a day after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's well publicised visit with cabinet ministers to several Friday markets organised to try and boost confidence among nervous traders.
Sawat Rakkaew, 55, a native of Phatthalung, opened the Muang Lung restaurant four years ago. It was popular among locals since they could buy a portion of curry for just 10 baht. For this reason, the restaurant had been awarded the sky blue flag denoting value for money. It was decorated with the flags with the help of the municipality last Thursday to coincide with the visit of the prime minister. However, the restaurant had been closing for business on Fridays since July 29, after receiving leaflets warning of action against Muslim traders opening for business on Fridays.
''I don't know why my shop was blown up since we have been closing our shop on Fridays as advised,'' said Urai Rakkaew, 45, the wife of the restaurant's owner after seeing the blast blow off the restaurant's roof and damage nearby chairs and tables.
She said before the blast two young men aged 17-18 had pulled up on a motorcycle and the passenger had visited the restaurant. Wearing a black jacket and holding a crash helmet, the young man walked into the shop and examined various curries, she said. He quickly left the scene without his crash helmet on the waiting motorcycle.
Two customers were enjoying a meal in the restaurant, while a border patrol policeman in civilian clothing bought some curry. Seeing the helmet, he lifted it up to expose an explosive device. He took the initiative by yelling for everyone to take cover, and seconds later the device blew up. Police believe the bomb was activated by a mobile phone shortly after the youths fled the scene on their motorcycle.
Another blast took place at 3.25pm in front of a tea shop in Narathiwat's Sungai Padi district, killing a woman and injuring nine others, including two policemen and two young boys. The shop was located opposite Kasikornbank, about 600m from the district police station.
Eyewitnesses told police that a lot of people were in the shop as it was raining very hard. A man estimated to be between 20-25 years old, arrived outside the shop on a motorcycle. Leaving the vehicle parked outside, he walked into the shop briefly before quietly leaving without his vehicle. Three minutes after leaving, a bomb planted on the motorcycle exploded. The bomb was likely triggered by a mobile phone.
The blast killed Sunaida Karipe, 22, while nine other people were injured, including Pol Cpl Pitak Songseng and Pol L/Cpl Saengthong Sakchanilbut from Sungai Padi police station, as well as two boys aged 7 and 9.
Are you saying the entire world is a quagmire? /humor
Why don't we hear about Islamofascists blowing up innocents in Thailand???
And people say Islam is a religion of peace. < /bitter sarcasm>
Gee...what do you think is on the menu in a joint where lung is the watchword?
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