A lawyer for one of the men told Reuters news agency that the charges included premeditated murder, illegal possession of weapons, and murder.
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Bilal was arrested on August 29 with a fake Turkish passport under the name of Adem Karadag from an apartment on the outskirts of Bangkok.Yusufu was arrested on September 1 near the Thai-Cambodia border, carrying a Chinese passport. Officials added that the blast was an act of revenge by human traffickers whose operations were broken up by authorities.
The August attack at the Erawan shrine, nestled between plush shopping malls and hotels in a bustling district of central Bangkok, dealt a fresh blow to the nation’s image as a holiday paradise.
Thai officials said there was no political or religious motive behind the attack.
The case is being heard at a military court, as the army has handled all cases of “national security” since last May, when it seized power in a military coup that deposed the former elected government.
Neither defendant entered a plea during the hearing, according to media reports. The lawyer for the two suspects said the indictments were made before they arrived.
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Early speculation about the bombing suggested it might be the work of Uighur separatists who were angry that Thailand in July forcibly repatriated more than 100 Uighurs to China, where it is feared they face persecution.
