Sunai did not say why the DSI would not be taking full responsibility for the probe, but the decision by the DSI's board after a 30-minute meeting

yesterday was reportedly prompted by the renewed investigation by the police into the bombings ordered on Wednesday, by acting national police chief Seripisut Temiyavej.

Sunai said the DSI would still continue its parallel probe until no further progress could be made, then police and DSI investigators would compare their information and evidence.

The DSI has set up three committees: one to work on photo analysis, another to interview witnesses at all nine bomb sites, and the third to establish whether Ramkhamhaeng University dropout Thawalsak Paenae, who was seen in video footage at Seacon Square where a bomb exploded, actually carried out the terror attack there.

Seripisut yesterday appointed two senior officers to take charge of the entire probe, his assistant Pol Lt General Phanuphong Singhara na Ayutthaya as the head investigator and his deputy Pol General Phatcharawat Wongsuwan as head interrogator.

Pol General Issaraphan Sanitwong na Ayutthaya is assigned as head liaison co-ordinating with relevant foreign law enforcement agencies.

Seripisut, a former Royal Thai Police inspector-general, said he would propose his idea of appointing more than one police inspector-general to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.

The proposal will be submitted for the next Police Commission meeting this month and was expected to be approved, he added.

He said police work required more than one inspector-general, and compared it with equivalent multiple positions

in civilian government agencies.

"The Public Health Ministry has eight inspector-generals, the Education Ministry has four and the PM's Office Ministry has three."

Seripisut held several meetings with many senior police officers yesterday, including Special Branch commander Pol Lt General Theeradej Rodphothong, for its questionable intelligence service that failed to effectively prevent school torchings.

He also met with Pol Lt General Pratya Suthapreeda, commander of Provincial Police Division 1, to ask about progress of the local police handling the probe in Nonthaburi province, where one of the nine bomb attacks took place.

Council for National Security (CNS) chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said it was being discussed among CNS members whether to appoint Seripisut as another member.

He said the CNS could have a maximum of 15 - while there was now only eight - including former police chief Kowit Watana, who was still allowed to serve on the CNS after his dismissal on Monday.

Sonthi said it was Seripisut's decision whether to transfer Pol Lt General Wiroj Jantharangsee as commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau for his inactive role in probing eight of the nine bombings, which occurred within his jurisdiction.

A Bangkok University poll yesterday showed that 71 per cent of 1,352 people in Bangkok surveyed on February 6-7 approved of Kowit's dismissal. Seripisut was regarded by 70 per cent of respondents as

the right choice to succeed Kowit.

Seripisut was described as decisive, determined, straightforward and not corrupt. The timing of Kowit's dismissal was good (47 per cent), too late (27 per cent), and too early (24 per cent).