Police investigating this week's deadly explosion at Bangkok's
Erawan Shrine still are looking for a man they believe was the bomber, but now
believe three other people seen near him on surveillance video weren't
involved, a senior police spokesman said.
Authorities had
said they were looking for a "woman wearing a black shirt" who video
showed standing in front of the prime suspect, but they now believe she is not
connected to Monday's blast, which killed least 20 people and wounded more than
120.
"We are treating her as a witness now," Lt. Gen.
Prawut Thavornsiri said Saturday.
Earlier, two men
shown on video entering the shrine ahead of Monday's bombing turned themselves
in after learning police were looking for them, but it does not appear they're
linked to the attack, Prawut said.
Prawut did not
say what led police to rule out the woman and two men, asserting only that a
theory that the trio were connected to the main suspect "is not really
that valid anymore."
Still, police still are looking for the main suspect, a man in a
yellow T-shirt and dark-framed glasses. Authorities describe him as an
unidentified foreigner who was caught on surveillance video hiding a backpack
under a bench at the shrine minutes before the bomb detonated.
At least 10
people may have taken part in the bombing, but the attack is unlikely to be
linked to international terrorist groups, Thai authorities say.
Royal Thai
Police Commissioner Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung said Thursday he believes
"several teams" were involved in the preparation and execution of the
attack, which killed at least 20 people and wounded more than 120.
"This
operation was carried out by a big network," he said.
"There must be a preparation for materials and
explosives," Somyot said. "There must be people who scout the route.
There must be people who survey the site, people who would cover and look after
the bomber. There must be people who know (the) escape route and take the
bomber to do it."
Even though
police say at least one foreigner may have been involved in the attack, the
operation is unlikely to be linked to international terrorism, Col. Winthai
Suvaree, a spokesman for Thailand's ruling military junta, said Thursday.
There has been no
claim of responsibility for the bombing. Thai authorities haven't said what
they think the motive for it might have been, other than making vague
references to unspecified people or groups who want to hurt Thailand's tourism
industry and economy.
Information shared with Interpol
Thai security forces are sharing
information with Interpol, the global police organization, and with
intelligence agencies from allied countries, officials said.
At this point,
they don't know if the main suspect is still in Thailand, said Prawut, the
police spokesman.
He said
investigators are reviewing surveillance video from Bangkok's two international
airports as well as from the scene of the bombing.
Police have released a sketch of the suspect, showing a
dark-haired man with glasses and light facial hair.
Police on
Thursday doubled the reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest to
2 million Thai baht ($56,000), according to the government-run National News
Bureau of Thailand. They raised it further Friday to 3 million baht ($84,000),
Somyot said.
A Thai motorbike
taxi driver who believes he picked up the suspect shortly after the blast said
he did not seem to be Thai.
Driver Kasem
Pooksuwan told CNN the man didn't speak to him but showed him a piece of paper
with the name of a central city park written in English. He spoke an unfamiliar
language on his cell phone during the short ride, he said.
"When I
dropped him, he still appeared very calm, just like (a) normal customer. He
seemed not in a hurry at all," Kasem told CNN.
Police say they
have questioned the motorcycle taxi driver but haven't provided details of what
he told them.
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