Two men arrested carrying bombs were ex-PAD guards

Sonthi insisted it was instead an attempt to discredit the activist group.

Police arrested two men Sunday in possession of homemade low-explosive 'ping-pong' bombs and other weapons including hand grenades and handgun ammunition.

Police also found PAD guard identification cards, and they said the duo confessed to being volunteer guards for the Peoples' Alliance.

Sonthi said that one of the two was formerly a PAD guard but was dismissed by PAD core leader Chamlong Srimuang some time ago because he tended to use violence when on duty.

He said the arrest was an attempt to discredit the PAD.

One of the arrested men told police that he was hired by another PAD guard, identified only as Nok, to carry the bag from a spot under the Rajawat Bridge to put into a garbage bin in front of the Rajdamnern Boxing Stadium.

Meanwhile, a taxi driver was arrested Monday morning when he was found carrying  a handgun at a police checkpoint at Ban Phitsanulok. At the same time the sound of an apparent bomb explosion was heard near Rajvinit School but police had not yet identified the source of the sound.