A suspicious package found in front of a convenience store in downtown Hat Yai, Songkhla, on Wednesday caused brief chaos, but turned out to be an empty tank of refrigerant.
Hat Yai municipality and police immediately closed Niphatpakdi Road after the suspicious package was reported near a convenience store around 8am. People were evacuated from the area.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal police were called in, and fire trucks and crews deployed to the scene.
EOD officers cut off mobile phone signals in the area and firemen sprayed water onto the object. But when the EOD officers later examined it, the suspicious package turned out to be a harmless, empty refrigerant container in a cardboard box. Everybody in the area sighed with relief.
The live shell found in a community forest in Tak, with a green EOD charge attached to it, shortly before it was destroyed. (Photo by Aswin Pintiwong)
Closed-circuit television footage showed a motorcyclist leaving it in front of the convenience store about 4.30am. He raised a hand as if making a signal before leaving. A man on a tricycle later arrived and walked to the store.
Police were looking for the two men.
In Tak, a bomb disposal team destroyed an unexploded artillery shell found in a community forest in Mae Sot district on Wednesday.
Local residents found the live shell in the Mae Sot forest reserve in tambon Phrathat Padaeng, Mae Sot district.
The shell, which was in a perfect condition, was destroyed.
Bomb disposal officers prepare to destroy the live shell found in a community forest in Tak on Wednesday. (Photo by Aswin Pinitwong)
Firemen spray water onto a suspicious package left near a convenience store in Hat Yai, Songkhla. What was feared to be a bomb turned out to be an empty refrigerant container. (Photo by Aswin Pakkawan)