No group has yet claimed responsibility of the attack and Thai police said no evidence of global terrorism has been found.
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It was not immediately clear who was behind the violence, which followed a referendum last weekend on a new constitution that critics say will bolster the military’s power for years. The attacks have apparently also been timed to take place as the country celebrates the birthday of its Queen.
Two bombs went off at the Hua Hin resort in Prachuap Khiri Khan province late Thursday evening, killing one woman and wounding 21 other people, Thai police said.
Two more bombs went off in Hua Hin on Friday morning, killing one person and wounding four, the Associated Press reported.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade advised citizens in Thailand to be vigilant, monitor the media for updates, follow the instructions of local authorities and keep family members overseas informed.
Two bombs exploded on one of the most popular beaches on Phuket, the island paradise that is the jewel in Thailand’s tourist industry. The royal family has a palace in Hua Hin, the city the most affected by the bombings, but neither the ageing king or the queen – both hospitalized in Bangkok – have visited the area for more than a year.
He said southern insurgents were the only group capable of carrying out the coordinated attack, dismissing theories that the junta’s other political foes were responsible.
Investigations are likely to focus on the long-running insurgency by Islamic militants in the south of the country, which has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 people over the last decade.
Today’s multiple attacks came days before the Erawan Shrine bombing first anniversary that killed 20. Towns impacted by the attacks included Phuket, Trang, Surat Thani, Phang Nga and Krabi.
Police said four of the injured tourists were from Germany, two from Italy and one from Austria.
Police and Thailand’s foreign ministry initially ruled out links to Islamist terrorism and foreign terror groups, though national police chief Jakthip Chaijinda later told reporters that the devices were similar to those used by Muslim separatists.
At 9 a.m., there were two explosions at Bang Niang Market in Phang Nga province’s Takua Pa district. The bombs killed one person and injured 21 others, including 10 foreign tourists.
In a televised address yesterday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said: “This act has severely hurt the entire Thai country”. The Hua Hin explosions on Thursday night struck a bar area popular with tourists and foreigners were among those injured.
A week ago, Thailand approved a new constitution aiming to strengthen the military’s influence in the government via a referendum vote of its citizens.
“I thought I was going to come to this place and feel safe but I heard it is very rare to happen here so I do feel safe in the hotel we are in but still obviously a bit queasy about what’s happening”.
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Shinawatra was unseated in a 2006 coup, and the government of his sister, Yingluck, deposed in the 2014 coup, which brought the junta to power.
