Police said the sketch was also partly based on a description provided by a motorcycle taxi driver believed to have given the suspect a ride on the night of the blast.
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Police released a sketch of the man on Tuesday depicting a young man wearing glasses, and the arrest warrant described him as a man with black, bushy hair, fair complexion with a prominent nose and thick lips.
Police said they had no doubt that the man seen in the video carrying a large backpack was responsible for the attack. “The government will work to find those perpetrators and bring justice upon any networks involved as soon as possible”, he said.
“There have been minor bombs or just noise, but this time they aimed for innocent lives”, he said.
The national chief of police, Somyot Poompanmoung, said: “He didn’t do it alone for sure”.
Thai police on August 19 released a detailed sketch of the suspected Bangkok bomber, who “might be foreign or Thai”, according to national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri.
The Hindu Erawan Shrine, popular with tourists and Buddhists, reopened on Wednesday.
Authorities are investigating the blast, considered the worst ever attack on Thai soil.
Visitors have left messages of condolence, flowers and candles at the site.
Police have said they are looking two other men also seen on security footage at the Erawan shrine before the blast who may have been his accomplices.
“I’m still scared because you never know where [the perpetrators] will strike again”, 43-year-old Sommai Gazem said.
“I was petrified for a while before I managed to call a friend to the scene for help”.
The shrine reopened on Wednesday morning with a ceremony led by chanting monks.
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. An elevated walkway can be seen ahead, which could be the location from where a previous amateur video captured the blast.
“There are many possibilities because I believe that it is unlikely that this attack would be carried out by one person”. The shrine’s location adds to its popularity, offering an open-air place for prayer amid the capital’s gleaming shopping malls and five-star hotels.
“From this incident, it is apparent that there are active individuals or groups that harbor the intention to damage Thailand, who may be pursuing political gain or other intentions by damaging the economy and tourism”, says Gen. Prayuth Chan Ocha, Thai Prime Minister.
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Gen Sukhontapatipak said no motive was being ruled out and the character of the bombing was “quite different” from previous attacks by Islamist separatists in southern Thailand.
