“We think the investigation team will ask for the arrest warrant tonight”, said police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri.
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Confusing statements emerged Thursday, with the military spokesman saying in a televised statement that investigators believe the attack wasn’t the work of worldwide terrorists _ a day after police issued an arrest warrant for the prime suspect who was described as a “foreign man”.
Police declined to say where the man had hailed the tuk-tuk and appealed for anyone taking photographs at the scene before the blast to submit their pictures.
Police have said the man is a suspect but that others could be behind the attack. Police have released CCTV footage of a young man with glasses, wearing a yellow t-shirt and leaving a rucksack at the shrine shortly before the blast. Authorities say security has been tightened citywide mainly with plain clothed officers.
A Thai taxi driver who believes he picked up the main suspect told CNN the man did not appear to be Thai, and did not speak at all, instead handing the driver a piece of paper with the name of a central city park in English. Along with this, a reward of 1 million baht, or more than $28,000, is on offer for anyone who can provide further information on the people behind the bombing. As we previously reported, the explosion killed at least 20 people.
Police said one of the two is now known to be a Chinese tourist and the other was his Thai tour guide. Twenty people were killed in Monday’s attack on the shrine.
Prayuth told reporters that the man must have been hired to plant the bomb.
On Wednesday, Buddhist monks led prayers for the reopening of a Bangkok shrine located in busy Ratchaprasong commercial district.
There has been no claim of responsibility and police have not determined a motive for the worst ever bomb attack in Thailand.
A women dressed in black and seen in CCTV footage at the time of the explosion was being sought for possible links to the attack, which also left over 100 wounded.
Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha said he would not be attending due to escalating security concerns.
The authorities are still waiting for lab-test results before confirming the type of bomb that was used to stage the attack.
Speaking of the bomber, national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung said: “He didn’t do it alone, for sure”. Two victims remain unidentified, according to a report by the Associated Press.
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