The latest of three male suspects wanted in connection with the Erawan shrine bombing had lived at Maimuna Garden Home in Bangkok's Min Buri district for about a year and was last seen two weeks ago, a neighbour said.
Rooms 9102 and 9106 at the apartment block were raided by police over the weekend shortly after the discovery of bomb-making materials at another residential block in Bangkok's Nong Chok district on Saturday.
A foreigner, whose identity and nationality have yet to be confirmed, was arrested there -- the first person so far to be detained over the Aug 17 bombing which killed 20 people.
In the latest raid at Maimuna Garden Home, authorities found a plethora of bomb ingredients, including urea-based fertiliser; a radio-controlled toy vehicle, parts of which could be used to detonate a bomb remotely; bolts potentially to be used as shrapnel; and decorative lights that could also be used as a detonator.
Items found during a search of a property in Min Buri district (from left) included fertiliser, nuts and bolts, a radio-controlled car, and a watch and electrical wiring. (Photos by Apichit Jinakul)
Arrest warrants were issued Tuesday for two suspects: a man and a woman, with a sketch and photo also released.
The foreign-looking man was the occupant of Maimuna's, Room 9106, where police found the cache of bomb ingerdients.
"I don't know his nationality for sure. I asked him once and he told me he was from Turkey, but I don't know if he was telling the truth," said the female neighbour who asked not to be identified.
She said she owns a clothes shop not far from the apartment and rents a room close to Room 9106.
She could not say for sure how many people lived in Room 9106 because a year ago a woman -- whom police have identified as "Maisaroh" -- checked a group of three to four men into the apartment.
Maisaroh, also identified by police as 26-year-old Wanna Suansan, dropped by once in a while, according to the neighbour.
"I know her as Maisaroh. I never saw her face clearly because she had a veil on. But the man told me once that she was his wife," she said.
According to the neighbour, the men in Room 9106 also cooked, sometimes at three or four o'clock in the morning. The smell of food was quite strong. They had some friends visiting too, she said.
"They used to buy clothes at my shop when they first came here. I think I could remember them all if I saw them again. I haven't seen them for 15-20 days," she said.
No one has been seen recently at the Min Buri apartment where police found more bomb-making materials.
She said the foreign man disappeared about two weeks ago, around the time the bomb went off at the Erawan shrine.
She said she came into regular contact with foreigners who live in the apartment because the owner could not understand English.
"I help translate for the owner and foreign tenants, including the man who lived in Room 9106."
She said the owner might not have records on the tenants, noting that the woman is battling diabetes and might have had trouble keeping her business affairs in order.
According to the neighbour, the tenants of Room 9102 are believed to be a Palestinian family with two kids -- a boy and one girl -- who have lived in the apartment for a year. She had seen them and those in Room 9106 chat from time to time, but had no idea if they knew each other before moving in.
Sulaiman Meena, 57, the apartment's housekeeper, said very little was known about all the tenants at Maimuna. The apartment offers both one-day and long-term rentals, with no requirements for identification documents or rental contracts.
Mr Sulaiman said the man staying in Room 9106 was known to be Turkish, could not speak Thai and often had visitors.
"I heard he was from Turkey and couldn't speak Thai. I myself never got involved with him," he said.
The 33-unit apartment, located in front of Ratuthit Soi 25/8, was quiet until last weekend when security forces showed up. The premises is now crowded with officials, forensic workers and reporters.
A police source said investigators have interviewed staff and residents, and found little information about the people who rent the rooms. The source believes the owner has no records of the tenants in her building and never reports foreign guests to police as required by law.
