[Saweeep]

Reports are sketchy at the moment, but it seems that a bomb has gone off in central Bangkok at a shrine.

12 reported dead so far.

Anyone on the ground in Thailand with any further info?


I go to Phuket often and have noted the increased Islamification of the island. I hope this is just a political rather than religious bombing.

If Jihad spreads to Thailand I'll cry!

[RIslander]

Terrible news... I hope all RVFers in BKK are safe.

I'm speaking with my Thai friend... she said that it was at a popular Hindu shrine right outside the Grand Hyatt at Chit Lom. I actually stayed at the Renaissance directly next door for a few weeks and know this shrine quite well as I walked by it often. Its a nice, middle class area.

Erawan Shrine, Ratchaprasong Junction:

[Patriarch]

It's strange when we say "hope it was a political bombing rather than religious," but I agree with you 100%. I mean I can't even imagine Vietnamese muslims bombing a pagoda in Saigon.

[Suits]

It's been a strange week.

[CleanSlate]

Awful news. Hope our RVFers in Bankok are OK. And this is one city I've been wanting to visit, too.

[Saweeep]

Some amateur reporting from the scene

Just read that it was a motorbike-bomb.

Not officially reported.

[spalex]

Getting in early with this one

[Saweeep]

Confirmed Motorbike bomb.

[Phoenix]

Won't be the last. The source is only getting stronger.

[KC4]

Wow I saw the shrine last time I visited. Anyone have an idea who's responsible?

[H1N1]

(08-17-2015 10:49 AM)KC4 Wrote:  

Wow I saw the shrine last time I visited. Anyone have an idea who's responsible?

I think at this point everyone has a good idea who is likely to be responsible...

[Phoenix]

(08-17-2015 10:59 AM)H1N1 Wrote:  

I think at this point everyone has a good idea who is likely to be responsible...

Yes indeed...


the patriarchy, right?

[H1N1]

(08-17-2015 11:09 AM)Phoenix Wrote:  

(08-17-2015 10:59 AM)H1N1 Wrote:  

I think at this point everyone has a good idea who is likely to be responsible...

Yes indeed...


the patriarchy, right?

If they didn't, it'll turn out to be the Illuminati.

[Foolsgo1d]

Islamic violence was already cropping up on the gore sites (don't judge me). These attacks were conducted mainly in the countryside or outside major tourist hotspots.

The violence included guns, small explosives and knife attacks.

I said to a couple of friends who have been to Thailand several times it is going to suffer some sort of terrorist attack with Islamic undertones this year on a tourist area.

[Rawmeo]

I drove there 45 minutes before the explosion. I went back to take a look, and it was chaos. My sympaties to the families of those who died and Pray for Bangkok.

[booshala]

I'm heading over in a few days... I always stay at the Grand Hyatt next door because I have status with them and my girl in BKK is telling me to cancel immediately.

Are we sure it's Muslim extremists? Could it be political jockeying like the red/yellow shirts? I think we need some more input on this, although the fact that the bombing was around the famous "4 face buddha" seems to lend credence to the religious fundamentalist reasons.

For background: Lots of Thais and now even Chinese, Vietnamese, etc are convinced that the 4 face Buddha statue at the Erawan complex fulfills supplicants wishes if they really want it enough. i live in LA and i personally know half a dozen Chinese/Vietnamese that have traveled to Bangkok to ask this Buddha for help with business, love, etc.

This is some sad, sad shit...

[RIslander]

I'm willing to bet this is the work of domestic terrorists connected to the red/yellow shirt conflict rather than Muslim extremists. Their intent is to hurt the economy by reducing tourism revenues while instilling fear in Bangkok's elite. The location of the bombing is next to a massive shopping mall and several international hotels.

[WanderingSoul]

(08-17-2015 03:15 PM)booshala Wrote:  

I'm heading over in a few days... I always stay at the Grand Hyatt next door because I have status with them and my girl in BKK is telling me to cancel immediately.

Are we sure it's Muslim extremists? Could it be political jockeying like the red/yellow shirts? I think we need some more input on this, although the fact that the bombing was around the famous "4 face buddha" seems to lend credence to the religious fundamentalist reasons.

For background: Lots of Thais and now even Chinese, Vietnamese, etc are convinced that the 4 face Buddha statue at the Erawan complex fulfills supplicants wishes if they really want it enough. i live in LA and i personally know half a dozen Chinese/Vietnamese that have traveled to Bangkok to ask this Buddha for help with business, love, etc.

This is some sad, sad shit...

No one knows who it is yet, and if they do know, they aint saying shit.

It could be Muslims.

It could be army/yellow shirts who want to keep up the chaos to use it as an excuse as to why the country needs to stay under military rule.

It could be Thaksin/red shirts who want to cause an uproar and use it as their excuse as to why when the king dies the military junta needs to be ousted, because they can't keep the people of Thailand safe.

Who knows. All I know is I hope whoever is responsible, all of their lackeys/accomplices, and even their family members who knew what was up and didn't alert authorities get hung by their necks from the Chid Lom BTS for all to see.

[Eskhander]

It was targeting a Hindu Shrine...

[BlueOcean]

Unfortunate. Thais are cool people and it's a tolerant country.

[CleanSlate]

(08-17-2015 10:26 PM)BlueOcean Wrote:  

Unfortunate. Thais are cool people and it's a tolerant country.

I hope this doesn't change, otherwise whoever did this would have won.

Stay true to yourself Thais, and apprehend those assholes who are responsible for this.

[El Chinito loco]

The good thing about Thailand is that they have a very short attention span that's even shorter than most Americans.

They tend to forget about stuff like this after awhile.

There have been a shitload of bombings and other somewhat large scale incidents in Bangkok over the years.

A few that I can remember off the top of my head:

Iranian terrorists scored an own goal by blowing themselves up by accident once outside a busy street.

Countless moto/car bombings in the south.

The Sala Daeng BTS was attacked with a grenade launcher.

Central world burned and gutted by protestors and rebuilt.

Around 2007 there were New Years bombs going off too.

[Beyond Borders]

Yeah, very tragic, but nothing in Thailand is going to change significantly because of this event.

[Thaitanium]

I am in Bangkok at the moment. Had dinner with a girl yesterday. They closed the BTS pretty fast and some of the shopping malls but other then that life went on as usual. It was a bit more quiet on the roads getting back to my hotel in Sukhumvit at 0100.

The government here is saying it probably is not the work of the muslims in the South, though the girl I had dinner with is forwarding some pics circulating on social media talking about a white Muslim guy who got into the area with a backpack and left without one. Supposedly the military is looking for him. Still a lot is unclear.

I agree with Beyond Borders, there is probably not a lot going to change here. One thing I can think of though, is that the military government will use this to take an even stricter control of the country, they already postponed the elections a few times before this.

[Phoenix]

I wouldn't put any money on a red/yellow origin. Are local political groups, who talk all about moving the country towards something better, really going to blow up their own people to improve their political position? If anything, having the attack traced back to you would cause political annihilation. We all know who did it...


the corporations.