“It’s exactly the same, the equipment used to make it, the bomb size”, Colonel Kamthorn Ouicharoen, of Thai bomb squad police, told AFP.
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Police chief Somyot Poompanmoung said on Wednesday that the attacker did not carry out Monday’s attack by himself, without elaborating further.
In a CCTV footage released by police, the man carried a dark-colored backpack near the shrine.
The seemingly contrary reports follow the unprecedented destruction at the Erawan Shrine on Monday in which 20 people were killed and 123 injured after a six pound pipe bomb detonated at the busy shrine at around 7pm (local time).
Deputy police chief Jaktip Chaijinda said that, based on the footage, investigators “believe the man’s physical appearance resembles more that of a foreigner than a Thai”.
“It is a big network”.
He made the comment as he headed into a meeting of national police commanders, adding that he was carrying orders from the prime minister who “is anxious about the security of people and tourists in Thailand“.
“There must have been at least 10 people involved”.
And on Thursday, they described him as “Caucasian, Arab or mixed race”, 20-to-30 years of age, and about 5 feet, 7 inches tall, the Bangkok Post reported.
The police on Wednesday announced to offer a reward of 1 million baht (28,100 U.S. dollars) for information leading to the capture of the main suspect. There must be people who survey the site, people who would cover and look after the bomber.
The military government was initially reluctant in asking for outside help in the investigation of the blast.
“We sent a request for assistance”, Kissana Phathancharoen, deputy national police spokesman, told Reuters.
Authorities are hunting for the man seen on a surveillance video putting a backpack under a bench in the shrine and then walking away shortly before the blast went off.
“So we are looking for other suspects”. The Erawan shrine where the bombing took place was particularly popular with Chinese tourists.
About half the victims were foreigners and the government says the attack was aimed at undermining Thailand’s economy.
Thai police have issued an arrest warrant for the “unidentified foreign man” seen leaving a bag just before the deadly Bangkok bomb blast – and warn he may not have been acting alone.
“(He) might be Thai or foreign”, Prawut said.
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Police had initially said a second explosion at a Bangkok pier on Tuesday that caused no injuries may also be linked, deepening fears for Bangkok residents of their safety. No-one was hurt, but the authorities have not ruled out a link between the incidents.
