COORDINATED BANGKOK BOMBS KILL 2; New Year's Eve Countdown cancelled

Bangkok Post ^ | 12.31.06

[Dr. Marten]

COORDINATED BANGKOK BOMBS KILL 2; New Year's Eve Countdown cancelled

(BangkokPost.com)

At least six bombs or grenades have exploded in Bangkok early on New Year's Eve. Two people are reported to have been killed, about 25 have been wounded.

Bangkok authorities ordered all public New Year's Eve parties cancelled. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin appeared at the huge Bangkok Countdown 2006 venue and told the crowd to "go home and stay in peace."

There had been confusion for an hour over whether New Year's parties would be permitted after the bombing. New Year's is the biggest public party in Thailand.

The national government indicated celebrations might proceed including - especially - the massive and internationally famous New Year's Countdown outdoors party attended by upwards of half a million people outside CentralWorld near Siam Square in central Bangkok.

Police Commissioner Kowit Wattana, at a televised news conference, said, "Don't be afraid, but be careful," and urged Bangkokians not to cancel New Year's Eve plans.

But the capital was extremely tense. All major department stores, due to stay open until late for holiday shopping, were all shut by 8 p.m. including the luxury Emporium and Paragon stores in the main tourist areas of Sukhumvit and Siam Square. Central, the biggest Thai department store operator, closed its stores.

Many would-be party-goers headed for home, either because the party mood has faded, or because they were unwilling to risk a public party.

By the time Mr Apirak personally ordered the Countdown to halt, the mood was off anyhow.

Earlier, government spokesman Yongyuth Malyalarp said the capital should remain calm and alert, and keep an eye out for unusual activity. He said police had been ordered on high alert.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said people hoping to celebrate the new year should avoid crowded areas.

Early reports said there were six explosions in various parts of the capital. Two were reported near the Klong Toey market, where one person was killed, and near the busy Victory Monument, where two people were reported killed and more than a dozen wounded.

Graphic footage shown on television showed damaged vehicles and blood-stained streets and pavements.

TV reports said a man was seen throwing a grenade off a pedestrian overpass near a police box in the Saphan Kwai area of Bangkok, injuring several people in the explosion.

At Seacon Square in eastern Bangkok, Asia's largest mall, an explosion in the outdoor parking lot sent hundreds of shoppers scrambling, but no injurites were reported.

Shoppers who called BangkokPost.com said the mall was evacuated and shuttered for the night.

Another explosion was reported from Sukhumvit Soi 62, a major intersection with the capital's main expressway system in southeast Bangkok, and another in suburban Nonthaburi province north of the city centre.

"There was no warning. It is quite shocking. We've got at least one child very seriously injured in my area and others are injured," said Police Maj-Gen Anand Srisiran, chief of Metropolitan Police District Five.

Witnesses told police in some places that they saw people throwing what looked to be grenades shortly before the explosions.

New Year's Eve parties were just kicking off when the bombs began going off around sundown at 6 p.m.

The coordinated attacks are unprecedented in Bangkok.

However, political feelings have run high for more than a year, and there have been reports of political violence aimed against the military junta which ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Sept 19 - primarily the suspected burning of schools.

In addition, some intelligence sources had suggested in the past two weeks that Islamist extremists leading the southern insurgency might try to spread their attacks to the capital. They have never operated out of the deep South.

The Bangkok bombings, however, bore little resemblance to bomb attacks in the South, which usually involve improvised explosive devices (IEDs) copied from the Iraq model, and set off by mobile phones, and vehicle bombs, especially in motorcycles.

Except for the insurgency in the four southernmost provinces, there has been no deadly political violence in Thailand for more than 14 years, when a popular protest overthrew the last military government. In that case, the violence and deaths were caused by the military government and armed forces.

Martial law was lifted in Bangkok and surrounding provinces just a month ago, but the military is authorised to act when necessary. The coup passed its 100-day anniversary on Dec 28.

The junta leader and army commander, Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, is currently out of Thailand, on the Haj in Saudi Arabia, and will not return until Thursday.

[Dr. Marten]

The Horse's Mouth

[SamAdams76]

Cancelling New Year's Eve celebrations is letting the terrorists win. I understand public officials wanting to maintain public safety but they should not be deterred with planned New Year's activities. Let the citizens make the choice whether they will stay home or not.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Already in Breaking News:
Four bombs go off in Bangkok

[KoRn]

I wonder if this could be the work of those dreaded Baptists?

[livius]

Actually, another Freeper who is there just posted that three more bombs just went off at midnight, in the place where the celebration was originally to be held. Several foreign tourists who had gone to the area were seriously injured, although reports are not yet complete. It would have been much worse if they hadn't cancelled the festivities.

[killjoy]

It would have been much worse if they hadn't cancelled the festivities.

Yes. The main celebration area, Central World Plaza, is where one of the second wave of bombs went off. It would have been much much worse if celebrations were not cancelled. I didn't agree with the cancellation at first either but it was a very smart move.

The other thread is at: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1760544/posts

[jdm]

Why would they cancel the celebration because of two deaths? That's like closing the freeway tonight, should anyone die on it this afternoon.

[Eagles6]

"The junta leader and army commander, Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, is currently out of Thailand, on the Haj in Saudi Arabia, and will not return until Thursday."

Having the fox guard the henhouse.

[guitfiddlist]

What do the terrorists value? Their people. Their religionists. Gee, where are they hidden? Out in open sight, free to cheer the bombings of their idiot enemies who are too PC (read stupid) to retaliate against their ridiculously vulnerable butts.

The terrorists want to play the game in exactly the way our moronic asses are responding to it. They hide amongst civilians, and make us tiptoe through their supportive hordes to find exactly and only the triggermen.

You blow away what they value - and they instantly will lose, since we are in a far better position to do that to them, than they are to us. One only has to look at Dresden, Tokyo, Berlin, Nagasaki and Hiroshima for reminders that we are capable of this, and even the dimmest of liberals would perceive this. If they still can't recognize it, just remind them that a Democrat President ordered all of them.

But unfortunately, the stupid and historically challenged rule the day - only until the carnage is brought directly upon the selfish and delusionally secure pinhead segment of the population that consistently advocates appeasement at the cost of others. Once it hits them, they will stupidly want to kill just about everybody - without regard to efficacy nor justice. And that's probably the way it's going to run.

In a truly just world - they would be the only ones on our side to die, for their pig-ignorant and wilfully selfish stupidity.

[Cindy]

ARTICLE SNIPPET:

"New Year's Eve parties were just kicking off when the bombs began going off around sundown at 6 p.m. The coordinated attacks are unprecedented in Bangkok. However, political feelings have run high for more than a year, and there have been reports of political violence aimed against the military junta which ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra on Sept 19 - primarily the suspected burning of schools. In addition, some intelligence sources had suggested in the past two weeks that Islamist extremists leading the southern insurgency might try to spread their attacks to the capital. They have never operated out of the deep South. The Bangkok bombings, however, bore little resemblance to bomb attacks in the South, which usually involve improvised explosive devices (IEDs) copied from the Iraq model, and set off by mobile phones, and vehicle bombs, especially in motorcycles. Except for the insurgency in the four southernmost provinces, there has been no deadly political violence in Thailand for more than 14 years, when a popular protest overthrew the last military government. In that case, the violence and deaths were caused by the military government and armed forces. Martial law was lifted in Bangkok and surrounding provinces just a month ago, but the military is authorised to act when necessary. The coup passed its 100-day anniversary on Dec 28. The junta leader and army commander, Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, is currently out of Thailand, on the Haj in Saudi Arabia, and will not return until Thursday."

[Cold Heat]

Cancelling New Year's Eve celebrations is letting the terrorists win.

You may not realize it, but that is exactly what has happened.

This was a message to the new Muslim in charge that New Years parties are no longer acceptable to the new powered by Mohammad ruling class..

Unfortunately, the stupid sheeples can't see the handwriting on the wall and why the government was overthrown with their help. They still don't see it, but everyone else in the region does.

The government fell after the first message that looked just like this one.

[Sword_Svalbardt]

Ever been there - Thailand, I mean? You should see what the southern border near Myanmar looks like. That's where the Karan Tribesmen live, and battle with the Burmese for turf. The place has a lot of jungle, and tons of islands along the coast where terrorists can hide.

Thai rangers are going to have to hunt these animals down - not the Karans -and eliminate the terrorist threat. Same people in charge of the Bali bombings did this.

SS

[Flash Bazbeaux]

"You should see what the southern border near Myanmar looks like. "

Actually, the southern border is pretty far from Myanmar, which is the western border The southernmost point of Myanmar is Victoria Point, across the river from Ranong, I have some nice photos I took of the sunset there on Christmas day about 15 years ago. From there it's about 300 miles south to the closest part of the southern border, around Satun.