Two men, one wearing a red shirt and one in a white shirt, were unlikely to have assisted the Erawan shrine bomber because they were seen to be shocked by the explosion away from the blast site, according to police.
Surveillance camera footage showed the two men standing in front of the suspected bomber when he laid down his backpack at the explosion spot inside the compound of the Erawan shrine.
Seconds earlier the man in the red shirt had sat on the bench where the bomb was later placed. The red-shirt man got up and the suspected bomber in a yellow shirt sat down in his place before leaving his backpack there.
Detectives of the Metropolitan Police Bureau found from other CCTV footage that the pair left the Erawan shrine together, crossed Rama I Road and walked towards the Pratunam area.
The bomb went off while they were walking past the Big C store on Ratchadamri Road. At that moment the men were apparently spooked by the explosion sound and jumped to seek cover.
Apart from being shocked, both men also reacted "girlishly", detectives said on condition of anonymity, adding that their reaction would indicate they had nothing to do with the bombing.
Later they contacted police and said that they were friends and interpreters.
The yellow-shirt bombing suspect was captured by CCTV before the blast Monday evening. (Police photo)
Regarding the suspected yellow-shirt bomber, police found from CCTV footage that he boarded a tuk-tuk taxi on Banthadthong Road in Pathumwan area at 5.55pm on Monday, about an hour before the blast. The tuk-tuk registration was identified as Sor Kor 1824.
The tuk-tuk then passed Rama IV Road, turned left at the Sala Daeng intersection, entered Ratchadamri Road, made a U-turn and took the suspect near the Ratchaprasong intersection.
Detectives are checking residences and stores in Pathumwan in the hunt for the suspects. They think the bomb might have been made in the area.
Police spoke to the tuk-tuk driver on Thursday, sources said.
