Thailand increases reward for whistleblowers in bombing case

(Baonghean) - Thai authorities have tripled the previously announced reward, up to 85,000 USD, for anyone providing information related to the main suspects in the recent bombing in the center of the capital Bangkok.

The government said the investigation was uncovering new details, but declined to provide details or evidence that it had identified the suspect who carried out Monday night's attack at one of Bangkok's popular tourist sites.

Security camera footage showed an unidentified young man with disheveled hair and a yellow shirt leaving a backpack at the scene. Officials have speculated that the man in the video behind the car could be a foreigner, or a Thai man posing as a foreigner. The reward for information leading to his arrest has been raised to 3 million baht ($85,000), a police spokesman said.

Thai government officials attend a religious ceremony at the Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok on August 21.

Initial speculation that the incident was the work of an international terrorist network has now been put aside by authorities. On Friday, August 21, police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang told reporters: "We still have no information about international terrorist groups and think this incident is not related to international terrorism. It is clearly planned to discredit the government, destroy confidence and scare tourists away from travelling to Thailand."

The Thai government said Chinese tourists were not suspected of being involved in the bombing. The announcement about the investigation was broadcast in both Chinese and English. A British citizen was killed in the August 17 bombing, while 10 other non-Thai nationals were killed, including six from mainland China and Hong Kong.

Phuong Thao

(According to Reuters August 21)