Motorcycles lie in bits and pieces outside the Thoengsia Siang Tueng Foundation as investigators sift through the damage. Most of last night’s victims were injured in this explosion. Police would not say how the bombs were made or detonated.

Seven coordinated bomb attacks left Songkhla's popular tourist centre of Had Yai reeling last night. They injured 13 people, including one women whom police said was in a serious condition.

Police said it was apparent the attacks were aimed at creating chaos rather than killing people or causing extensive damage.

The first explosion happened in front of the Thoengsia Siang Tueng Foundation at about 9pm, witnesses said.

Most of the victims of the attacks came from this explosion. Police said the youngest victim was an 8-year-old boy.

Within 20 minutes another six blasts had gone off at a number of locations across the southern city. The targets were the Tesco Lotus and Big C super stores, Garden Home and JB hotels, Nai Nang restaurant and Phesat drug store.

Most of the bombs were placed in garbage bins. However the one at JB Hotel was thrown into the lobby.

The 13 people injured in the blasts were taken to three hospitals in the area - Ratyindee, Had Yai and Songkhlanakharin.

"Considering the circumstances of the blasts, it would appear that the bombers were intending to create a disturbance rather than deaths and damage," Army Chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratklin said last night.

"All of the bombs were smallish ones and created no serious damages in most spots."

Sonthi said the bomb attacks were meant to merely disrupt the public and that "he knew that they were different from previous attacks". He did not explain.

Sonthi called on the Had Yai public to keep alert to future attacks. He said even though there were seven bombings no curfew was needed.

Sonthi said he would not try to analyse who were behind the bomb attacks.

Two suspects were caught shortly after the bomb attack at Big C super store, police said.

They would not release any details about the composition of the bombs or whether they were set off by mobile phone or other devices. But as a precaution, the authorities cut all mobile phone transmissions in Hat Yai town just in case there were further bombs.

Last night's bombings were the third serious attacks in Hat Yai since the insurgency broke out in the deep South in 2004. The last one was on September 15 when five people were killed and about 60 hurt in a series of six explosions at two shopping malls, hotels and other night spots.

Somchart Phimthanaphoon-phorn, president of the Hat Yai-Songkhla Hotel Association, said last night's bomb attacks were not as serious as the two previous ones and should not cause serious damage to the local tourism industry. Fortunately, he said, the attacks occurred on a Sunday night when many weekend visitors had already left the town, he said.

Darm Sukhonsap, director of the communication division of Tesco Lotus, said the bomb exploded in front of Tesco Lotus's Hat Yai branch where close circuit cameras were monitored the area. The CCTV footage captured by the cameras could provide police with more information.

The first big bomb in Hat Yai occurred on April 3, 2005 at Hat Yai Airport, Carrefour Superstore and various night spots in town, killing two people and injuring 30.

The Nation

Hat Yai