Citynews – Around 21:35 p.m. on March 21, Mae Ping Police Department received a report of someone throwing a bomb into PTT gas station in Nong Hoi. Four people were taken to Rajavej Chiang Mai Hospital to be treated. Mae Ping police notified Chiang Mai crime scene investigators then rushed to the gas station on Chiang Mai-Saraphi Road.
The scene of the PTT gas station bombing
Police found bloodstains, clothes and shoes outside the cashier’s booth. They also found a piece of metal believed to be a grenade lever and a few small holes on the ground from the explosion. Nobody saw who tossed the grenade. Three of the gas station workers were injured. The fourth victim was Rotsarin Jaimpiromsak (27) who suffered minor injuries from bomb shrapnel.
Not long after, three kilometres away from the first bombing, another bomb went off at Andaman Seafood Restaurant on Mahidol Road in Tambon Chang Klan. No one was injured. Chiang Mai PD found a white Nissan Tiida compact sedan with damages to the front tyre and left side of the car. There was a 20 cm wide, 10 cm deep hole and a grenade lever model RGD-5 nearby. The grenade was allegedly triggered by a wire tied to a bronze Honda Civic’s front right wheel. The car owner told reporters that he was leaving the restaurant around 10:20 p.m. After he backed up his car two metres, the grenade went off.
The scene of the second bombing in Chang Klan
Around the same time, Saraphi PD got a call about the third explosion at Chiang Mai Beverage Co, Ltd (Boonrod Brewery. on Chiang Mai – Lampang Road in Saraphi. Someone fired two M-79 grenades from a launcher south of the warehouse. One landed in a field nearby. The other exploded in the warehouse costing 50,000 baht in damages. No one was hurt.
Officials believe that a teenage gang or small-time terrorists were behind these bombings. Pol. Maj. Gen. Krit Kitilue, Chiang Mai PD commander in chief, called an emergency meeting with police department commanders, CSI unit, investigators, bomb squads and other officials involved. They gathered evidence and information before proceeding with a province-wide manhunt, which is still going on now.
The US Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) sent the following message via email:
Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Explosive Devices Reported in Chiang Mai
Friday March 21, between 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. unidentified persons threw explosive devices at several locations in the greater Chiang Mai area–including a gas station, a restaurant parking lot, and an office building–resulting in four injuries. The attacks occurred in Nong Hoi, Muang district; tambon Yang Nerng, Sarapee; and tambon Pa Dad, Chiang Mai city, respectively. Thai authorities are investigating.
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Thailand enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at www.Travel.State.Gov. STEP enrollment gives you the latest security updates, and makes it easier for the U.S. embassy or nearest U.S. consulate to contact you in an emergency. If you don’t have Internet access, enroll directly with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
Even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence. You should avoid areas of demonstrations, and exercise caution if in the vicinity of any large gatherings, protests, or demonstrations. Regularly monitor the State Department’s website, where you can find current Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and the Worldwide Caution. Read the Country Specific Information for Thailand. Be alert and aware of your surroundings and pay attention to local news media reports. For additional information, refer to “A Safe Trip Abroad” on the State Department’s website.
Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate for up-to-date information on travel restrictions. You can also call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). Follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and download our free Smart Traveler iPhone App to have travel information at your fingertips.
The U.S. Consulate General in Chiang Mai (http://chiangmai.usconsulate.gov/service.html) is located at 387 Wichayanond Road in Chiang Mai. The American Citizen Services Unit of the Consulate General can be reached by calling +66-53-107-777 and by e-mail at [email protected]. The after-hours emergency telephone number is +66-81-881-1878.
The American Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy (http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service.html) is located at 95 Wireless Road in Bangkok, and can be reached by calling +66-2-205-4049, or by e-mailing [email protected]. The Embassy’s after-hours emergency telephone number is +66-2-205-4000.
For more photos, visit Thairath.co.th.
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