Thai authorities Sunday canceled major New Year's celebrations in Bangkok and Thailand's second largest city, Chiang Mai, after a string of explosions in the capital killed two people.
After the celebrations were canceled, another blast shook Bangkok's Kasorn Plaza shortly after midnight, where the city's 2007 countdown was to have taken place. Eight people were wounded, most of them tourists, police and hospital officials said.
Between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., a series of explosions ripped through several downtown areas in Bangkok in what appeared to be a coordinated attack hours before New Year's Eve celebrations.
hose blasts killed two people and wounded at least 12 others.
Chief government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp warned residents to be cautious.
"The bombings exploded almost simultaneously. It must have been planned," Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont told reporters while visiting some of the wounded at a hospital.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attacks, but speculation fell on supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a September bloodless coup led by Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin.
A number of arson attacks in provincial areas have been blamed on his followers, The Associated Press reported.
"There are two potential suspects, Muslim insurgents and Thaksin's residual power. I tend to think it's residual power. I suspect the previous regime," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University.
Bombings occur on a regular basis in Thailand's three southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani, where an Islamic insurgency that flared in January 2004 has killed more than 1,900 people.
One of the blasts occurred at a mall near the Victory Monument in the center of the Thai capital, Reuters reported.
"There was a big bang and people started screaming and running. I saw people with blood all over their legs and faces," witness Chalermsak Sanbee, 17, told Reuters.
In Bangkok, hotels increased security and some canceled New Year's Eve dinners, AP reported.
"I heard there was a bomb scare, but I don't actually know what is going on. All I know is that I paid 300 dollars at the Arnoma Hotel, and they had to end early," Eric Peterson, of Guam, told AP.
The two bombs exploded nearly at the same time seconds after the new year started.
The first bomb exploded at the Best Sea Foods restaurant on the Saen Saeb Canal near the Pratunam Pier just seconds after the New Year countdown ended.
Three foreigners and two Thais were injured. One of the foreigners had one leg amputated by the blast. The foreign tourists were having dinner at the restaurant.
Police said the bomb was hidden in a bumper tire at the pier.
The second bomb exploded at a public telephone booth at the pedestrian flyover linking Central World and Kesorn Plaza. Several foreigners were injured and rushed to hospitals.
It was fortunately that the New Year countdown event at Central World was earlier cancelled by 8 pm and thousands of revellers had already dispersed but many were still wandering around.
Police had to ask tourists and revellers to try to leave the area as soon as possible for fear that there could be another bomb.
Police said the bomb near Central World might be planted shortly before it exploded as police earlier checked the area but did not find it.
There were rumours of bomb explosions in many areas throughout the night and objects suspected to be bombs were sighted in several areas.
A suspected bomb was located at the Buddy Bar on Khao Sarn Road about half an hour after midnight and tourists were evacuated from the area.
By 1 am, police also disposed another bomb at the Lumpini Night Bazaar before it explodes.
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