Klong Toey market explosion hurts 13 vendors

Bomb disposal and forensic officers inspect the scene at Bangkok’s Khlong Toei Market where a handthrown explosive device went off during a protest against the new management early yesterday, sending 13 people to hospitals for treatment.

Police could not say if it was a bomb or a giant firecracker, as Wednesday night was the Loy Krathong Festival, celebrated by people lighting fireworks and firecrackers.

Police beefed up security at the protest site after the nine women and four men were rushed to Kluay Nam Thai and Chulalongkorn hospitals.

A 37yearold woman, Penthiwawan Kaewsuk, sustained a serious head injury while a 51yearold man, Yakob Lormor, 51, suffered serious wounds all over his body from the shrapnel.

Sujitra Damrongsiriwuth, 52, said that about 1am, while the leading protest members were on stage in the middle of the intersection giving speeches and singing songs, she heard a motorbike going up the flyover and saw a man dropping a plastic bag on the tent where many people were resting. She saw sparks followed by a loud bang.

"I never thought this violence could happen because we held the protest to demand justice for decent vendors who want to support their families. It's also noteworthy that before the bomb there were no police coming to provide security for the vendors," she said.

Somsak Yoopiam, 30, who suffered slight cuts to his face, said he felt bad for a woman who was innocent but had serious injuries inflicted on her in this attack. He said he saw a group of men, possibly those opposed to the protesters, scouting the area at the bridge before the incident. But he would fight on for justice.

Tha Reu superintendent Colonel Suthip Palidkusolthat said police were dispatched Wednesday night to provide security at many venues for the festival so he only learned about the explosion at 2am.

Police still had to wait for forensic results to see what was thrown at the protesters. Police would also check traffic camera footage around the intersection.

Lt Col Prapassorn Chartprom, deputy commander of Tha Rua Police Station, quoted witnesses as saying that the bag did not explode immediately but about five seconds after it landed on the tent's roof.

Some 1,000 vendors have been rallying at the intersection since Tuesday afternoon against the Port Authority of Thailand and Legal Professional Co, which recently won the concession to manage the market and ordered the tenants to leave so that it could redevelop the property.