The Taling Chang District Court yesterday turned down a police request to obtain an arrest warrant for a man with ties to the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) after a cache of explosives was found in his room on Tuesday.

Somphong In-ngarm, 25, who works as a bodyguard for leaders of the anti-Thaksin Shinawatra movement, disappeared not long after police found the explosives in a room he purchased at the former Sri Bamrung Mueng apartment, now the Development Mental Path building, in Soi Charan Sanitwong 53.

The presiding judge said, after a three-hour deliberation, that the evidence produced by police was not sufficient enough to indicate that Somphong was responsible for the explosives found in his room.

Police said early on that they decided to obtain the warrant for Somphong's arrest after questioning Hathaichanok Praphasukdee, an ex-girlfriend of Somphong, who said she had seen the explosives in the room when she lived with him.

Phian Yongnoo, a core PAD member and uncle of Somphong, said that he would urge his nephew to turn himself in to the police. Defending his nephew, Phian said he had raised Somphong since childhood and that Somphong had never shown ill intent against his own country.

Phian said he had discussed news reports of the cache with Somphong yesterday, but his nephew had fled when his name was publicly referred to as the owner of the room.

Somphong has been charged in absentia with possessing explosives without permission.

PAD secretary-general Suriyasai Katasila said no PAD members were responsible for the cache found in the apartment or for other weapons of any kind. He said that when the movement was fully active before the coup last year, PAD had members from many walks of life.

Special Branch Police commander Rapheephat Palawong admitted there had not been any intelligence tip linked to the discovery of the cache. And there was no scientific proof to indicate the explosives found were the same kind used in the bombs in Bangkok on New Year's Eve. "However, ordnance experts say that some of the items found could possibly be used in conjunction with the types of explosive used in the New Year's Eve bomb attacks," he said.

Army commander General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said he had ordered a parallel investigation into the discovery of the cache. He asked the public not to believe any "one-sided" information in regard to the matter.