National police chief Adul Saengsingkaew has ordered increased security in the capital, following three grenade attacks on prominent targets, including the house of a Constitutional Court judge.
Charter court judge Suphot Khaimuk’s garage is damaged after someone threw a grenade into his housing compound. Mr Suphot was one of nine Constitutional Court judges who ordered the dismissal of then-prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)
Pol Gen Adul also told subordinates Thursday to step up the search for the attackers and the masterminds. All the attacks were believed to be politically motivated.
Police are investigating a grenade attack on the home of Suphot Khaimuk early Thursday morning.
Mr Suphot, together with eight other charter court judges, on Wednesday issued a ruling that removed former caretaker prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra from office.
Attacks at Chulabhorn Hospital and the Siam Commercial Bank headquarters late on Wednesday night are also being investigated.
Pol Gen Adul’s call to beef up security followed a meeting with police top brass. There were no reports of casualties following the attacks.
However, because the current political situation remains tense and with anti- and pro-government rallies approaching, police in areas where important people reside must “increase security measures to prevent a repeat of these attacks”, Gen Adul said.
Pro-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship leader Jatuporn Prompan insisted the attacks had nothing to do with the UDD.
Police investigators are examining evidence found after the bomb attack on Mr Suphot’s home in Soi Lat Phrao 34. They say they managed to obtain security camera footage of the attacker.
The man was seen walking near the house and throwing the grenade into the compound before fleeing in the direction of Ratchadaphisek Road, police said.
The attack, occurred about 1.20am Thursday, damaging the roof of a garage and a car. No one was at the house at the time, except a couple of police officers standing guard.
The grenade thrown was an M67 grenade with a destructive range of 15 metres, according to bomb squad chief Kamthon Uicharoen.
The grenade was the same type as the one thrown at the house of Samran Rodphet, a leading supporter of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, on Jan 28, he said.
Police believe the attack on Mr Suphot’s home is linked to the charter court's ruling against Ms Yingluck. He was one of the judges to read out the ruling which stated that Ms Yingluck unlawfully transferred National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri in 2011. The former caretaker premier was removed from office as a result of the ruling, much to the disappointment of her supporters, mainly red-shirts.
Attackers on Wednesday, also fired two M79 grenades at Chulabhorn Hospital, located in the grounds of the Chulabhorn Research Institute on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, about 9.40pm, police said.
The first bomb exploded in a pond, causing minor damage to a taxi parked nearby. The other one hit the ninth floor of the hospital building, damaging a doctor's office.
About 11pm, two more M79 grenades were fired at the Siam Commercial Bank headquarters near the Ratchayothin intersection and a nearby McDonald’s restaurant. Both suffered minor damage, police said.
Investigators suspect the two attacks were carried out by people wanting to provoke confrontation between political rivals.
Chulabhorn Hospital Thursday condemned the attack, saying it shocked patients and staff.
There was also a report that a ping pong bomb was also found and diffused on Wednesday night near the Defence Ministry.
The military has used the M79 grenade launcher and 40mm ammunition since the Vietnam war days, as a former Queens Cobra regiment soldier shows in this 1967 photo from the Vietnam war. Many of the weapons have been stolen or fallen into civilian hands, and they are frequently used in hit-and-run attacks in Bangkok political violence. (US Army photo)