Thai police released this sketch of the “man in yellow”, suspected of planting the bomb
Thailand has trebled its reward for information leading to the arrest of the main suspect in the deadly bomb attack on the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok. Police are hunting for a man seen dropping off a backpack shortly before an explosion ripped through the popular site on Monday, killing 20 people. Thai PM Prayuth Chan-ocha said progress was being made in the investigation.
A multi-faith memorial to the victims of the attack was held at the shrine on Friday. Little evidence has emerged from the attack, which Prime Minister Prayuth called Thailand’s worst-ever. Police released a sketch and video of their main suspect, who has been described as foreign and is believed to have been working as part of a network. The reward for the wanted man now stands at three million baht ($84,000; £53,600).
In his weekly address to the nation, Prime Minister Prayuth said he would “expedite all investigations to bring perpetrators to justice”. The attack aimed to “discredit the government and create a climate of fear to deter tourists,” said the Thai police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung. He also played down his earlier suggestion that as many as 10 people might have been involved.