Huge explosion rocks central Bangkok - casualties reported

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Did this Hong Kong woman see the bomber? Bangkok blast survivor speaks from hospital bed

Hong Kong survivor recalls terrifying moment she felt her life slipping away - and how her husband's words gave her the strength to fight

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 18 August, 2015, 6:01pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 19 August, 2015, 2:31am

Phila Siu in Bangkok
[email protected]

Hongkonger Jaral Jintana speaks from her hospital bed in Bangkok

For a fleeting moment, Jaral Jintana thought she would bleed to death.

"I saw so many dead bodies. I was also bleeding so badly and so I thought I was not going to make it," the 60-year-old Hong Kong woman said as she recalled her harrowing ordeal after the explosion ripped through the Erawan Shrine in the heart of Bangkok on Monday night.

The bomb that went off in Ratchaprasong district shortly after 7pm killed at least 20 people, including four mainlanders and two Hongkongers. And at least 20 Chinese nationals were injured.

Jaral had visited the religious shrine with her 62-year-old husband, Chu Yat-on, and they were waiting at traffic lights to cross a road to a shopping mall. As the lights changed, pedestrians started walking across the road.

"While all of the vehicles were waiting to cross the road, a motorcycle ran across right in front of me and went all the way to [the shrine]," she said from her bed at Police General Hospital, the shock visible on her face. "Then there was an explosion. I felt the ground shaking. The blaze was huge and so was the smoke."

She thought she would not make it, but her husband's words kept her going.

"I then told myself to stay tough because my husband said to me 'what am I going to do without you by my side', and that kept me fighting," she said.

Jaral, who was born and raised in Thailand, moved to Hong Kong about 40 years ago after marrying Chu.

She received stitches to her head and legs, and doctors said she would need another week in hospital. Her husband was being treated at nearby Chulalongkorn Hospital. But the distance was too much for the devoted couple.

"Can you please go visit him for me?" she asked. "Tell him to rest more and don't show that much temper. He has been saying the doctors do not care about him because he doesn't speak [Thai]. He said his wounds hurt."

She wanted her husband to stay with her in the same hospital so they could look after each other. Chu suffered back injuries but is slowly recovering.

Jaral received a tonic yesterday when Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha visited her and other patients. "He told me to rest well and don't think too much," said Jaral, describing the visit as "reassuring".

 

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[Susanoo]

Thailand must ensure investigation into Bangkok bombing is fair and transparent

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 19 August, 2015, 1:50am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 19 August, 2015, 1:50am

SCMP Editorial

Thai office workers light candles for victims killed in a bomb blast outside a religious shrine in Bangkok. Photo: AFP

Hongkongers Vivian Chan Wing-yan and Arcadia Pang Wan-chee and the other tourists killed or injured in Bangkok could never have guessed that they would be caught up in a bombing. Extremist attacks are not unusual in Thailand, but never before have they been staged in the capital with such callous disregard for life. The location and time - the popular Erawan Hindu Shrine in the symbolic heart of the city in the evening rush hour - revealed the aim was to cause as many deaths as possible. We feel the pain of the victims and the sorrow of the relatives of those whose lives were so senselessly taken.

Extremism today knows no bounds. The nature of communications means that radical thoughts and actions can spread widely and rapidly. What was once sacrosanct can no longer be considered untouchable; it is only as safe as policing and security makes it. The red alert that Hong Kong's government has issued for travel to Bangkok should not be taken as a warning of an imminent attack, but nor can it be disregarded. There has so far been no claim of responsibility for the bombing. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the army general who led the coup that overthrew democratically elected Yingluck Shinawatra in May last year, has suggested the ousted leader's supporters may be involved. He made the same claim after a blast on the holiday island of Koh Samui in April. But it would be wrong to so quickly reach such a conclusion before an investigation has been carried out; it is one thing for radicals to protest against the junta with small-scale attacks, but quite another to carry out a mass-casualty bombing at a religious site near shopping malls, a train station and hotels.

There are no shortage of suspects. Beyond anti-government factions, there are Muslim separatists in the south, extremists like the Islamic State and Chinese media have suggested Uygurs angered by Thailand's recent deportation of compatriots. But what is certain is that harm has been done to Thailand's tourism sector and investors have been further scared off. Prayuth promised stability when the military seized power, but on his watch the capital's worst attack has taken place. There will be a temptation to round up opponents and crack down on Muslims, but that will only further damage relations with his government. The investigation has to be exhaustive and transparent; the victims, their families, Thais and those with connections to the country demand it.

 

[Susanoo]

Religion among theories for motive behind Bangkok attack

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 18 August, 2015, 11:47pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 18 August, 2015, 11:55pm

Mimi Lau and Reuters
[email protected]

Security footage of the main suspect in the bombing. Photo: Reuters

While the Thai government is not ruling out any possibility of who to blame for Monday's blast that killed at least 20 people at a popular Bangkok shrine, and another on Tuesday in which no one was hurt, theories are emerging that the attacks could be linked to religious conflicts.

A bomb was detonated at the Erawan Shrine in the popular Ratchaprasong shopping precinct in Chidlom district on Monday evening during rush hour, wounding 125 others. At least eight foreigners were among the dead, including six Chinese.

Thai police on Tuedsay narrowed their search to a lone suspect seen on surveillance footage wearing a yellow shirt and carrying a backpack.

Local authorities said earlier that the attack in the capital's bustling commercial hub during rush hour was aiming at damaging the economy.

Police had said that no group had been ruled out of suspicion but added that the attack did not match the tactics of Muslim insurgents in the south of the country. No one has claimed responsibility for either attack.

"Police are not ruling out anything, including [Thai] politics and the conflict with ethnic Uygurs who, before this, Thailand sent back to China," national police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang said.

Thailand forcibly repatriated 109 Uygurs to China last month. Chinese state media said some of them had planned to go to Syria and Iraq to carry out jihad. In recent years, Chinese Uygurs have used Thailand as a transit hub after fleeing China's Xinjiang region to make their way to Turkey, with whom they share religious and linguistic bonds.

Thailand is also popular with tourists from many countries.

Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, refused to speculate about the culprits other than to say the attack was aimed at triggering religious conflict in mainly Buddhist Thailand.

"What is tragic is that the device was placed near a shrine, so it calls for the Thai government to [look into] conflicts in religious communities. [Whoever did it] understood the impact it will have for religious conflicts on Thailand," Gunaratna said.

He said the Thai government was working with international intelligence agencies to identify the perpetrator.

"It was certainly an attack that fully intended to create chaos because the bomb was designed and placed to kill and injure a large number of foreigners and Thai nationals," he said.

Professor Yang Shu, an expert on Central Asia at Lanzhou University in Gansu province, agreed that the attack was religiously motivated.

"In my view, it's highly likely that it was in line with the recent rise of international Islamic extremist acts," Yang said.

"According to our figures, about 6,000 Thais died in conflicts between 2004 and 2014 initiated by Islamic separatists in southern Thailand. Of those, 40 per cent were Buddhists. It's very natural for them to attack monks and temples."

He said it was possible that Uygurs launched the attack, but the chances were not high, adding that there was not enough evidence to suggest Chinese were being targeted.

Raffaello Pantucci, from Britain's Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, also thought it was unlikely that Uygurs were responsible for the bombing.

Even though Bangkok had returned 109 Uygurs to China, it had also turned about 200 others over to Turkey.

"It shows that the Thai government has definitely given it a bit more thought [than just following the Chinese government's request to repatriate all Uygurs]," Pantucci said.

"It would be surprising [if it was initiated by Uygurs]. It would be such a change for them.

"Thailand is also a busy transport route for foreigners and [different] terrorists," he said, noting that [the Shia Islamist militant group] Hezbollah had tried to build a large bomb last year in Thailand but was disrupted.

Pan Zhiping , a professor at Xinjiang University's Central Asia Research Centre, did not rule out Uygur involvement in the attack, because many of them transited through Thailand after fleeing China, but said much more investigation was needed.

 

[Susanoo]

Bangkok bombing hurts Thai economy with tourists tipped to stay away

PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 19 August, 2015, 2:34am
UPDATED : Wednesday, 19 August, 2015, 2:34am

Agence France-Presse in Bangkok

A bank employee counts Thai baht notes. Photo: Reuters

Thailand's currency slumped to a six-year low yesterday and shares fell in Bangkok over concerns an unprecedented attack in the capital could hit the vital tourism sector.

At least 20 people were killed and over 120 wounded when a bomb ripped through a Bangkok religious shrine late on Monday, in what authorities said was the worst ever attack on Thai soil.

The baht fell as much as 0.8 per cent to 35.648 against the dollar yesterday, hitting its lowest point since April 2009.

Bangkok shares slumped as much as 2.8 per cent in opening deals, their steepest decline this year, before paring losses to a fall of 1.99 per cent by early afternoon.

Tourism-linked companies led the sell-off, with Airports of Thailand plunging 6.62 per cent while Central Plaza Hotel tumbled 10.60 per cent. "Thailand is vulnerable right now as economic growth and corporate earnings are weak, while tourism is not doing great," Andrew Stotz, CEO of Bangkok-based Stotz Investment Research, said.

The timing of the blast just as "we're coming into this high tourism season" means it could be particularly damaging to the sector, which accounts for 8.5 per cent of GDP, he added.

Police said two Chinese, two Hong Kongers, two Malaysians, one Indonesian and a Singaporean were among those killed in the attack on the Erawan shrine in the heart of Bangkok's tourist and commercial centre.

Morgan Stanley said big-spending Chinese tourists - whose numbers have soared in recent years, bucking a general downtrend - are particularly likely to be put off by the unrest in Bangkok.

Last year around 4.6 million Chinese nationals visited the kingdom, with the average tourist spending 5,500 baht (HK$1,200) per day, more than the average European visitor.

The attack comes after Thailand's economy slowed in the second quarter, hit by weak domestic demand and exports, with growth expected to be hampered this year by China's devaluation of the yuan.Gross domestic product grew 2.8 per cent between April and June compared to a year earlier, official data showed on Monday, slowing from 3 per cent in the previous quarter.

Hours before the blast, Thailand's planning board trimmed its 2015 growth forecast to 2.7-3.2 per cent, down from 3-4 per cent.

It also warned growth faces "major constraints" after China devalued the yuan last week, sparking fears of a currency war in Asia in which countries vie to keep their exports competitive by depreciating their units.

The Thai baht is among several Asia-Pacific currencies that have slumped since the yuan cut, suffering their worst two-day sell-off since the Asian financial crisis last week.

 

[Susanoo]

Thai police on trail of backpack bomber who killed 20 in Bangkok shrine blast

As images reveal man in yellow T-shirt as chief suspect behind Bangkok blast, Hong Kong mourns two of its own who were among the 20 killed

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 18 August, 2015, 11:34pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 19 August, 2015, 2:52am

Phila Siu in Bangkok and Agencies

Experts look for clues yesterday at the Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok, site of the blast on Monday that killed 20 people. Photo: Reuters

Less than 24 hours after a deadly blast gutted the core of central Bangkok, Thai police said last night that they believed a man donning a yellow T-shirt and carrying a backpack had set off the explosion that killed 20 people and injured 125.

Their initial findings came as Hong Kong reeled in shock that two of its own - young female friends enjoying their summer break in the hip tourist spot - were among the dead.

The carnage also claimed the lives of four mainlanders while around 20 suffered injuries, including a 10-year-old girl whom Thai media reported was in a coma. With such casualty figures, Monday's attack outside the Erawan Shrine beloved by East Asians was one of the deadliest in recent years for Chinese nationals on foreign soil.

Earlier in the day, National Police Chief Somyot Pumpanmuang said that police were "not ruling out anything, including Thai politics and the conflict of ethnic Uygurs who, before this, Thailand sent back to China".

Thailand forcibly returned 109 Uygurs to China last month.

Later, when police released photos of the man, with and without the backpack, based on images taken from closed-circuit video at the shrine minutes before the bombing, police spokesman Prawut Tharvornsiri said: "The yellow shirt guy is not just the suspect. He is the bomber."

A Hong Kong survivor, Jaral Jintara, was among those on the scene as the suspect was about to unleash terror.

"I had just finished visiting the Erawan Shrine with my husband. We came out of the shrine and were waiting for the traffic lights to change so we could cross the road," she told the South China Morning Post from her hospital bed.

The traffic lights turned and pedestrians started crossing the road. Jaral then saw a motorcycle speeding in front of her and exploding outside the shrine.

"I was bleeding so badly at that point I thought I would die," said Jaral, who received stitches to her head and legs. Her husband was treated at another hospital.

Two Hong Kong women - Vivian Chan Wing-Yan, 19, who was studying law in Britain, and her friend Arcadia Pang Wan-chee, 24, a former student at the Institute of Vocational Education - were not so lucky.

Staff at Bangkok Metropolitan Administration General Hospital said Chan died at around 10pm on Monday. "She suffered injuries to the heart, liver and abdomen," a nurse said, showing the Post the bag and accessories Chan left behind.

Friends described Chan, a food blogger, as "cheerful and friendly", while Pang was remembered as a gentle and quiet but friendly person. Their families are in Bangkok with Immigration Department officials.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha called the explosion "the worst incident that has ever happened in Thailand", saying the perpetrators "want to destroy our economy, our tourism".

The improvised explosive device scattered body parts, spattered blood, blasted windows and burned motorbikes to their bare metal. Bangkok was rocked again yesterday when another explosive device blew up at a ferry pier, but no one was hurt.

Other foreign victims include two Malaysians, one Indonesian and a Singaporean.

The blast comes at a sensitive time for Thailand, which has been riven for a decade by a sometimes violent struggle for power between political factions in Bangkok. An interim parliament hand-picked by a junta that seized power in a 2014 coup is due to vote on a draft constitution next month.

Tourism makes up 10 per cent of the economy, with 4.6 million mainlanders and nearly half a million Hongkongers visiting Thailand last year.

As the city tried to pick up the pieces yesterday, Thais were out in force offering help to victims. Among them was Paween Huang, 30, a Chinese who grew up there, offering interpreting services to Chinese families. At Chulalongkorn Hospital, she said: "We should stand united."

Reuters, Associated Press

 

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[Susanoo]

Hong Kong girl, nine, undergoes crucial Thai operation to remove bomb shrapnel

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 18 August, 2015, 11:59pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 19 August, 2015, 2:38am

Samuel Chan in Bangkok
[email protected]

Jasmine Chu, nine, has a large piece of bomb shrapnel in one of her thighs. Photo: Chu King-fun

A nine-year-old Hong Kong girl injured in the Bangkok blast on Monday is now fighting for her life undergoing a six-hour operation for doctors to remove a large piece of bomb shrapnel from her thigh, the father says as he waits at the hospital.

The doctors were optimistic about the chances of a successful operation, Chu King-fun, 61, said, but added that this was not entirely reassuring.

Earlier on Tuesday, doctors had told him upon initial examination that his daughter, Jasmine Chu Sum-yu, could be discharged after simple procedures were taken to remove the shrapnel.

But the doctors made a U-turn after conducting an MRI and said she had to be sent into intensive care immediately.

“The doctors said that if this big piece of shrapnel could not be removed from the thigh in time, this could cost her the leg or even her life,” Chu told the South China Morning Post on Tuesday night.

Father and daughter had travelled together to the Thai capital for a five-day trip, but Jasmine was injured in the bomb blast that ripped through Erawan Shrine shortly after 7pm on Monday.

Jasmine’s surgery started at 8pm local time on Tuesday and was expected to last till 2am. This was the second time she had to be operated on in 24 hours, Chu said.

A friend who was with the family was not so lucky; she did not make it and was confirmed dead at the scene.

When the blast happened, she had been walking with Chu, behind Jasmine, who was walking with another family friend. The two groups were separated by a space of “20 to 30 people”.

“When I got there, about a dozen people lying near her were all unconscious, but I could see her still trying to stand up,” Chu said.

“When I later asked [Jasmine] why she had made it but not my friend, she didn’t seem to know either. But it seemed things might have been different had she and my friend swapped places while walking down the street.”

The large piece of iron shrapnel, which doctors believed had come from a home-made bomb judging from the nails and iron used, had pierced Jasmine’s thigh.

The doctors warned that if the removal was not done properly, the main arteries in the thigh might be cut, which could cost the girl her leg or even her life.

But Chu was probably too exhausted to feel anxious by the time he talked to the Post at the cafeteria of the hospital. He said he had not slept at all after the blast, and apart from checking Jasmine’s situation with doctors and taking endless phone calls, he was also with the Thai police for three hours in the afternoon to give his statement.

“All that time, I was still wearing the same bloodstained T-shirt,” the retired employee of a stock brokerage said.

He was worried as his daughter appeared to be worsening every hour on Tuesday.

“Her leg was swelling and getting bigger every hour; it felt so cold when I touched it,” he said.

“Even the insurance company said an operation was needed as soon as possible. That told you how urgent it really was.”

Financial matters were not on his mind right now, he said, since insurance should get almost everything covered.

“Now it feels we’re here only for the blast,” Chu said.

 

[Susanoo]

Parliament: Singaporean killed, 7 Singapore citizens injured in Bangkok blast

Experts investigate the Erawan shrine at the site of a deadly blast in central Bangkok, Thailand on Aug 18, 2015.PHOTO: REUTERS

Published 18 August 2015
Wong Siew Ying

SINGAPORE - A Singaporean woman was killed and seven Singaporeans were injured in the bomb blast near the Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok on Monday night, Foreign Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam told Parliament in a ministerial statement on Tuesday (Aug 18).

The Straits Times understands that the deceased is Melisa Liu Rui Chun, 34. Her husband Ng Su Teck, 35 was injured by glass shrapnel.

Mr Shanmugam said Singapore strongly condemns the "heinous attack", which left over 20 people dead and 120 injured so far.

"We have all been deeply shocked by the bombing in central Bangkok yesterday... Members will join me in extending our deepest condolences to the family to the young lady who was killed," Mr Shanmugam said.

"Someone's evil action. And a life of promise snatched away in a moment of terror, and an innocent family's lifetime of grief. It is a tragic loss to all who were injured including the Singaporeans. We wish them speedy recovery," he added.

Singapore's ambassador to Thailand, Mrs Chua Siew San, visited the injured Singaporeans in the hospitals on Tuesday.

Giving an update, Mr Shanmugam said: "All are receiving medical attention and treatment. Some of those who suffered light injuries have been discharged."

He added that Singapore extends its deepest sympathies to the people and Government of Thailand, as well as to the victims of the blast.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has been "working overnight" to contact and assist Singaporeans in Bangkok, and its embassy is in close contact with the Thai authorities, Mr Shanmugam added.

The MFA will continue to render consular assistance to the affected Singaporeans.

"We strongly condemn this heinous attack... nothing can justify the killing of innocent civilians. This is the latest in a long series of such attacks. Unfortunately, it won't be the last. The Thai authorities have launched investigations. Those responsible for this act must be brought to justice," he added.

 

[Susanoo]

Bangkok blast: 34-year-old Singaporean woman among those killed; husband injured

Emergency vehicles and members of the Fire Department arrive to assist following an explosion at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok, Thailand, on Aug. 17, 2015. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

Published Aug 18, 2015, 10:18 am SGT
Tan Hui Yee
Thailand Correspondent

BANGKOK - A 34-year-old Singaporean woman was killed in the bomb blast that rocked the heart of the Thai capital on Monday night, while her husband was injured.

Madam Melisa Liu Rui Chun died on the spot, according to Thai Police Major-General Dr Pornchai Suteerakune, commander of the Institute of Forensic Medicine.

Her husband Ng Su Teck, 35, who was injured by glass shrapnel, told The Straits Times that he plans to return to Singapore on Wednesday.

Mr Ng, who works in sales, did not want to talk much when The Straits Times visited him at Ramathibodi Hospital.

In a statement on Tuesday, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said: “Our embassy in Bangkok is currently providing consular assistance to the family of the deceased.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved family for their loss. We are deeply saddened by this development, and reiterate our strong condemnation of this indiscriminate act of violence,’’ MFA said.

Mrs Chua Siew San, Singapore’s ambassador to Thailand, visited the other injured Singaporeans at various local hospitals on Tuesday, said MFA. All are receiving medical attention, while those with light injuries have been discharged.

The Singapore embassy will continue to provide consular support for the injured Singaporeans and their next-of-kin, MFA said without elaborating on how many Singaporeans were injured.

“MFA has also contacted the majority of the registered Singaporeans in Bangkok. We are monitoring the situation closely,” said the ministry.

At least 21 people were killed and more than 120 wounded in the bomb attack at the Erawan Shrine which is popular with both locals and tourists. The dead also included citizens from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

The bomb reportedly contained up to 3kg of explosives.

“The bomb aimed at killing as many people as possible as the shrine is crowded at around 6 to 7pm,” Police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri told AFP on Tuesday.

The bomb was detonated at around 6.30pm, sending a fireball into the sky as commuters and tourists fled in panic.

The blast occurred at a major traffic intersection flanked by upscale hotels and shopping malls. It was still cordoned off onTuesday.

Hundreds of schools were closed, with the police tightening security by setting up checkpoints across the city.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

I thot junta pm already issued statement they had identified few suspects from anti govt group in north east (read red shirts)?
Sounded so confident Now keep quiet because no one school of thought supported that and now pretend to change tack and hunting for yellow t shirt guy instead?

 

[Susanoo]

University graduate from China’s Sichuan province among victims of Bangkok bombing

Zheng Jiu, 22, remains in a coma after undergoing brain surgery to remove glass shards sent flying by the explosion on Monday

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 18 August, 2015, 4:53pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 18 August, 2015, 5:57pm

Naomi Ng
[email protected]

Zheng Jiu in a photo taken last month and provided by his friend. Photo: SCMP Pictures

A young man from China’s Sichuan province who was living in Bangkok after graduating from university is fighting for his life after being caught in the blast on Monday night.

Zheng Jiu, 22, was standing near the Erawan Shrine in the Ratchaprasong district when the bomb went off shortly after 7pm, according to mainland media reports.

He is among at least 20 Chinese nationals who were injured in the explosion, according to the Chinese embassy in Bangkok.

Three mainlanders and two Hongkongers have been confirmed dead.

Zheng remains in a coma after undergoing brain surgery at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, and his friends say doctors are not optimistic.

Shards of glass sent flying by the explosion pierced his brain. Some of the pieces were removed in the first operation, but even if the next one goes well, Zheng will have suffered severe brain damage. His mother in Sichuan had been contacted and authorities were trying to arrange for her to fly to Bangkok to approve further surgery, said his friend Nick Qiu.

“When I saw him lying there [in the hospital], my heart went cold,” Qiu, who also lives in Bangkok, told the South China Morning Post.

Zheng Jiu, in an undated picture provided by his friends. Photo: SCMP Pictures

His friend’s head was bandaged and swollen. His arms and legs were tied to the hospital bed to protect him when his body suddenly spasms. He is breathing with the help of an oxygen tank.

“I don’t know how to describe the feeling. My heart just feels so uncomfortable. All we can do is to wait for news,” Qiu, 28, said.

Zheng is from Guanghan – a city under Deyang northeast of the provincial capital of Chengdu – and went to Thailand to study at Chiang Mai University in the north. He recently moved to Bangkok to find work.

According to mainland media reports, he was waiting near the shrine to show Chinese tourists around when the explosion occurred. His friends said they last spoke with him at 6pm that day, and he was on his way home after visiting his girlfriend outside the city.

After hearing the initial news that Chinese were among the injured, his friends began calling each other to find out whether Zheng was among them. They checked with hospitals across the city throughout the night. At 9am, they received a call from a nurse at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, who had plugged in Zheng’s mobile phone and discovered the contacts.

In the intensive care unit, Zheng is beside eight others who are also in critical condition. According to Xinhua, 25 of the injured are being treated at the same hospital.

At least three other Chinese tourists are being treated at Police General Hospital, including Chen Yunhua.

“I was at the site when the blast took place. Suddenly, three places were ablaze,” Chen told Xinhua.

 

[Susanoo]

Six Chinese nationals - including two from Hong Kong - among at least 21 killed in Bangkok bomb blast

PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 18 August, 2015, 8:41am
UPDATED : Tuesday, 18 August, 2015, 9:54pm

Phila Siu in Bangkok

Police investigate the scene around the Erawan Shrine the morning. Photo: AP

Six Chinese people - two from Hong Kong and three from the mainland - have been confirmed dead in the wake of last night's devastating bomb blast in the heart of the Thai capital Bangkok, the Chinese embassy in Thailand confirmed on Tuesday.

Another 22 Chinese including 17 from mainland China, two from Hong Kong and three from China’s Taiwan, were receiving treatment in hospitals, the embassy had said earlier, adding more than 10 others, who sustained minor injuries, have been discharged from hospital.

One Chinese national remained missing in the blast, according to the embassy.

Vivian Chan, 19, died in the blast. Photo: SCMP Pictures

At least 21 people lost their lives and at least 117 others were injured in the deadly blast at a busy intersection near the Erawan Shrine in the Ratchaprasong district shortly after 7pm on Monday night. The area is normally thronging with both Thais and foreign tourists.

An Immigration Department spokesman earlier that the two Hongkongers who died were women aged 19 and 24. Six other Hong Kong people were injured, all of whom - apart from one who was discharged - are being treated at hospitals in the Thai capital.

The South China Morning Post has confirmed the two Hong Kong women who died were Vivian Chan Wing-yan, 19, and Arcadia Pang Wan-chee, 24.

A staff member of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration General Hospital told the Hong Kong media Chan was admitted at around 8pm last night and was certified dead about two hours later. No friends or family members were with her when she was at the hospital.

"[She suffered) injuries to the heart, liver and abdomen," a nurse at the intensive care unit said, showing the bag and accessories Chan left behind.

Vivian Chan's Hong Kong ID card. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Chan also suffered from a collapsed lung.

Another nurse said a nine-year-old Hong Kong girl also suffered injuries to her head, neck and knee and has been transferred to a private hospital. Her situation remained unclear.

Pang, meanwhile, was certified dead at Police General Hospital.

Arcadia Pang, 24, was killed in the attack. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Hong Kong’s Secretary for Food and Health Dr Ko Wing-man said the government is very concerned about the bombing. He expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said the Immigration Department is offering assistant to those who are in Thailand now. The Hospital Authority would cooperate and offer help to the wounded if necessary.

Three Hong Kong immigration officers will fly to Bangkok this morning to provide help to the victims and their family members.

Hong Kong’s Hospital Authority sent a team to Bangkok to offer help to the injured and relatives of the victims.

Before departing this morning, a Hospital Authority spokesman said the team includes a clinical psychologist and a senior counsellor.

“We would like to give psychological support to the bereaved relatives of the deceased,” he said.

He said they would like to see what assistance they could offer to the injured and assess any need to transport victims back to Hong Kong.

The bag Hong Kong victim Vivian Chan left behind. Photo: Phila Siu

China's Foreign Ministry has initiated an emergency response, demanding the country's embassy in Bangkok launch an investigation and go all-out to help treat the injured.

Witnesses told the Post about the moment the bomb exploded.

Thai man Patavee Teeravanitchanunt's girlfriend left his side for just five minutes when the bomb exploded next to the shrine.

"My girlfriend was praying inside," he said as he waited anxiously outside the Police General Hospital, which is just about 40 metres away from the shrine.

When the explosion took place Patavee was drinking coffee in a nearby coffee shop. He heard a few loud bangs and immediately went outside to see what happened.

"There are many bodies ... an ambulance came about five minutes later but [the scene was] messy," the 38-year-old said in the early hours of Tuesday.

"[There was] no fire but a lot of black smoke."

Patavee rushed to all six hospitals that were said to be treating the injured. But he said that none of the staff at the hospitals had any information about his 30-year-old girlfriend.

"I don't know where she is now. No news ... I can just stay here," he said as he sat outside the Police General Hospital

Police officer Anan Nananikum said at the hospital that a 24-year-old mainland Chinese woman was killed. A 50-year-old woman thought to be the deceased's mother was injured.

Thai emergency staff help the injured after the scene of an explosion near Erawan Shrine. Photo: EPA

He could not confirm whether anyone from Hong Kong had been hospitalised. The full list of the injured and dead was still being processed in the early hours of Tuesday.

Soon after the explosion, volunteers - locals and tourists - rushed to hospitals to offer translation services.

Among them was a Malaysian bilingual man named Shen, who came to the hospital to see if anyone needed his help as a translator in Thai, Cantonese or Putonghua.

Medical workers rush the victim of a blast at the Erawan shrine to a nearby hospital. Photo: Reuters

"Bombs went off [in Bangkok] a few years ago," said the 42-year-old, who has been working in the hotel business in Thailand for 10 years.

"I think the explosion was targeted at tourists. This is one of the places where many tourists visit. If whoever did this want to target Thais, it didn't have to be here."

He waited at the hospital for a few hours yesterday but did not see any families of Chinese victims.

Additional reporting by Emily Tsang

 

[Susanoo]

Taiwanese tour groups undeterred in wake of Bangkok bombing

CNA 2015-08-18 17:27

Tourists at the Siam Skytrain station in Bangkok, Aug. 17. (Photo/Xinhua)

Taiwanese tour groups are still heading to Thailand despite the deadly explosion that occurred near a religious shrine in Bangkok late Monday, Tourism Bureau official Chen Chiung-hua said Tuesday.

According to the bureau's latest figures, there were 14 Taiwanese tour groups consisting of 275 individuals in Thailand as of Tuesday.

Chen said the blast did not appear to be having any immediate effect on tour groups leaving for Thailand, but the bureau will continue to monitor the number of tour groups and individuals leaving for the Southeast Asian country over the next week.

Tour groups from Kaohsiung will leave for Bangkok as planned, Shen Pen-li, a representative of the Kaohsiung Association Of Travel Agencies, said Tuesday.

Shen said the Erawan Shrine, which was near where the blast occurred, is not a popular spot on tour group itineraries, and he had not heard of any individuals from Kaohsiung being injured in the blast as of Tuesday morning.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has posted a "yellow" travel warning for Thailand since last May. A yellow alert means that travelers should pay special attention to their personal safety if travel to the country cannot be avoided.

Under the Foreign Ministry's four-color travel alert system, red represents the highest warning level, while orange means travelers should take precautions and avoid unnecessary travel. Yellow is the next step down, and gray is the lowest-level travel alert.

 

[Susanoo]

Injured Taiwanese tourists return from Thailand

2015/08/18 21:44:35

Taipei, Aug. 18 (CNA) A father and his two daughters who had been injured by a powerful explosion in downtown Bangkok a day earlier returned to Taiwan and immediately proceeded to National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei to continue medical treatment Tuesday.

At Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the father, surnamed Chang, told reporters that his 11-year-old daughter still had shrapnel in her leg that called for immediate medical attention. "She has been brave," he said.

Chang, who received eight stitches to his back in the wake of the blast that killed at least 22 and injured more than 120, said his family was just 10 meters away from the explosion and they were lucky to have been shielded by a bridge pier.

"Without the bridge pier standing between us and the blast, we would have been killed," Chang said, noting that his other daughter, 14, was just slightly injured.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said six Taiwanese nationals were injured in Monday's bombing in Bangkok. Another father-daughter pair was in a Thai hospital undergoing surgery, according to the Tourism Bureau. A sixth woman, whose family name is Hung, sustained severe burns and is being treated at an overseas Chinese hospital.

(By Bien Chin-feng, Liu Te-chan and S.C. Chang)

 

[syed putra]

Maybe some turkics.

Possibly Malaysian, like the Bali bombing and Jakarta Hyatt.

 

[Susanoo]

Five bodies unidentified; several injured critical

The Nation August 19, 2015 1:00 am

FIVE bodies, one of them severely damaged, remain unidentified in the wake of Monday's bloody bomb blast.

The attack, described as the worst in Thai history, rocked the crowded Erawan Shrine at Ratchaprasong Intersection shortly before 7pm on August 17. The blast claimed 20 lives.

Of the people killed, authorities said yesterday they were still unable to identify five. Three were women, and another is a man. The other could not be identified even by sex, as the body is beyond recognition.

In addition to the 20 deaths, the blast also injured more than 100 people.

Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin said yesterday the government would pay for medical treatments of all people injured.

Many nationalities

Foreigners of various nationalities are among the victims. "Two Chinese women are still in the intensive care units of the Ratchawithi Hospital," he said.

Institute of Forensic Science chief Pol Maj-General Pornchai Sutheera-kun said the dead included 16 at Police General Hospital, three at Chulalongkorn Hospital, one at the Central Hospital. The bodies have been sent to the institute to determine the cause of death. Five of those killed were identified as Thai, while the rest were foreigners. Pornchai said relatives should bring personal information such as dental records to identify family members.

The number people killed by the bomb at Ratchaprasong intersection rose to 20 with 125 injured, a doctor at Police General Hospital said yesterday.

Pol Maj-General Withoon Nitiwarangkoon, a high-ranking doctor at Police General, said dozens of injured people had been sent there because of its close proximity to the scene.

Some 39 of those admitted had been released from hospital, while four had died before arriving. Six are still being treated, and another 23 were transferred to other hospitals.

Of the six being treated, three are in intensive care units. A bomb fragment hit one victim in the stomach, while the second victim was a 10-year old child also hit by shrapnel in the stomach. The third ICU patient sustained broken legs.

Withoon said the hospital would set up a centre to provide information on the deaths and injured from the bomb attack, with interpreters to give information to relatives. Up to 80 Chinese and English interpreters have volunteered to provide support for the centre, which was adequate at this stage, he said.

The centre would also check the identity of those injured and killed. It will also co-ordinate with other hospitals to help search for any missing people. Seven people who were killed in the bomb attack have yet to be identified.

In critical condition

Erawan Rescue Centre reported that two of six patients at the Police General Hospital were in a critical condition. One was identified as Mr Koto Ando, 31, a Japanese visitor. Hit in the back by several pieces of shrapnel, he arrived at the hospital unconscious after losing a lot of blood.

A 10-year old Chinese girl is also being treated in an emergency ward after a surgery to stop bleeding on Monday night.

Several others also suffered deep wounds with internal organs torn apart. Some had to have part of their intestines removed. Medical personnel have also been trying to save the lives of some victims who suffered disseminated intra-vascular coagulation (DIC).

The Japanese man's condition has become stable, but he has not regained consciousness yet.

Meanwhile, the Department of Consular Affairs will issue urgent visas to relatives of the injured and deaths that want to come to Thailand. People can get additional information from Thai embassies in their countries.

Institute of Forensic Science chief Pol Maj-General Pornchai Sutheerakun said bodies of the deceased had been sent to the institute to determine their cause of death.

 

[Susanoo]

Situation under control: Ministry

WIRAJ SRIPONG
THE NATION August 19, 2015 1:00 am

THE FOREIGN Ministry assured foreign diplomats yesterday that the government was able to handle the situation after the deadly blast on Monday night.

"I invited members of the diplomatic corps. This is an explanation session," said Norachit Sinhaseni, the Foreign Ministry's permanent secretary.

The meeting with foreign diplomats was held yesterday after Monday evening's bomb blast.

At least 20 people, including foreigners, were killed.

Norachit added that he had not gone into details regarding the investigation into the bombing, as it was being conducted by security officials and he was not in a position to elaborate.

He said he had instructed all Thai embassies and consulates worldwide to provide details about measures taken by the government regarding the investigation and assistance provided to the victims.

"The Foreign Ministry is here to coordinate and facilitate, in case foreigners are victims of this incident," Norachit said, adding that the Justice and Tourism and Sports Ministries would be responsible for compensation.

Close monitoring

The permanent secretary also said the Tourism and Sports Ministry had set up a war room to closely monitor the situation.

"So far, the government has not declared a state of emergency," Norachit said, adding that none of the foreign embassies had asked for additional security.

Norachit added that the Foreign Ministry would regularly issue statements to keep the foreign community apprised of the situation.

He also said he felt the capital was still safe for tourists.

As for a question posed by the foreign media as to whether the attackers aimed to hurt the tourism industry, Norachit said he was not in a position to make a conclusion on the matter.

Meanwhile, Anusorn Chaiaksornwet, a political scientist at Walailak University, said: "The reasons behind the attack are still inconclusive. The general public should be cautious and well aware while taking in information, especially from social media."

He added that from this moment on, all government agencies should be coordinated when providing information to the general public.

"Being coordinated and regularly informing the public and all stakeholders will help rebuild trust among locals and foreigners," he said.

Anusorn also emphasised that declaring a state of emergency would not improve the situation.

Yesterday, some 108 representatives from 76 countries and 10 international organisations attended the Foreign Ministry's briefing. The ministry has set up hotline numbers: (02) 644 7245/(02) 643 5522/ (085) 065 9927.