PATTAYA : Iranian bomb suspect Saeid Moradi, 28, checked in to Top Thai hotel in Pattaya on Feb 8 late at night with a backpack.
Pictures of the three suspects caught on a surveillance camera at Soi Pridi Banomyong 31. The man in the middle is Saeid Moradi and the one on the right is Mohummad Hazaei, who was later caught at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Shortly afterwards, he called a friend who arrived at the hotel with a large piece of luggage.
The six-storey building is in a small alley behind another hotel next to Pattaya 2 Road, a bustling area of night venues.
Because it is relatively small and old, guests are not subject to strict checks.
"We usually have no idea what the guests bring in," one hotel employee said.
Since both men were well presented and polite, hotel employees did not pay them much attention.
"Mr Moradi was good-looking and dressed neatly, as if he was a young entrepreneur," said the worker. "He was also polite and I can't believe that he would be a bomber."
The employee said Mr Moradi and his friend mostly stayed in their room. They didn't come down for breakfast or lunch and only in the evening or at night would they venture out. On Feb 11, Mr Moradi booked his room for one more night. He and his companion checked out on Monday at 11.58am and Mr Moradi left a 500 baht tip. Police yesterday checked Mr Moradi's room and reviewed CCTV footage.