Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has rejected sceptics' theories that the explosion near the coalition Bhum Jai Thai Party's headquarters yesterday was launched so that the government could retain the state of emergency.
He said this incident was proof certain groups were still trying to instigate violence, which made the emergency decree necessary in the first place.
"We hope no violent incidents take place during the Bangkok by-election. Violence is not part of democracy, and it indicates the perpetrators have other objectives," Abhisit said.
A Government House source said the state of emergency in Bangkok and some provinces was likely to be renewed for another 60 days once it expired on July 7.
'IMPROVE INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM'
The government's Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) yesterday instructed security-related agencies to improve their intelligence system, spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said.
He said Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, who chaired yesterday's CRES meeting, had stressed greater effort was needed to improve intelligence work so there were no repeats of such violent incidents, particularly at a time when the state of emergency was in place.
Sansern said the CRES had discovered some red-shirt leaders in the Northeast were still active.
"Local red-shirt leaders and politicians from a political party held meetings despite the emergency decree. There are attempts to create a situation," he said.
In addition, Sansern said, the explosion would cause widespread concern among the public, especially since it had occurred while the emergency decree remained in place.
A cooking-gas cylinder believed to be filled with petrol and reinforced with TNT exploded late yesterday morning near Bhum Jai Thai's headquarters in Phaholyothin Soi 43 in Bang Khen district.
A fruit vendor admitted he was hired to park a pushcart carrying the 15-kilogram gas cylinder in front of the headquarters.
Authorities believe the explosion was politically motivated. The bomb, which caused panic among party members, also prompted authorities to have Government House checked by sniffer dogs, but nothing was detected.
Meanwhile, observers said the explosion might have resulted from political enmity within the Bhum Jai Thai Party and that maybe the authorities were using this as an excuse to renew the state of emergency.
The fruit vendor was injured when the explosion suddenly took place at 10.45am while he was in an alley nearby. The blast damaged a car nearby, a food stall and also shattered the windows of a commercial building.
The 27-year-old fruit vendor, Anek Singkhunthod, who was admitted to Bhumibol Hospital, told police he did not know there was a bomb inside the cart. He explained he had travelled from Laem Chabang in Chon Buri province with a friend in a pickup to sell fruit and was dropped off with the cart near the scene.
The driver of the pickup called him to ask whether the cart was still there, and the bomb exploded just after he hung up.
Metropolitan Police Division 2 chief Pol Maj-General Saroj Phromcharoen said Anek would not reveal who had hired him or how much he was paid. All Anek would say was that he was told to park the cart in front of the headquarters, but that he'd moved the cart to a neighbouring soi, because it was raining.
Saroj said the bomb was clearly targeted at the party and that he suspected a political motivate.
Police are checking security-camera footage to see if they can identify the accomplices.
A source said party executives like Newin Chidchob and Anuthin Chanweerakul normally arrived at about 10am before convening the party's weekly meeting in the afternoon.
However, the party cancelled its meeting yesterday, although party board members Tossaphol Sangkhasap, Samphan Lertnuwat and Theerachai Saenkaew were in the office.
Tossaphol said he thought the noise came from a nearby power transformer but was told what had happened when he came down to investigate.
'NOT AN ACCIDENT'
Judging from the severity of the explosion and the smell of petrol, he said it was unlikely the explosion was an accident.
Still, he said, the party would wait for the results of the police investigation.
Meanwhile, a party source insisted there was political motive behind the explosion.
The source said it was either meant to cause chaos prior to the cremation of slain Army specialist Maj-General Khattiya "Seh Daeng" Sawasdipol later in the day or just threaten party members.
Khattiya was the red-shirt movement's chief strategist. His cremation yesterday evening at Wat Somanas in Bangkok drew thousands, most of them his red-shirt admirers.
Later yesterday, Bhum Jai Thai spokesman Supachai Jaisamut dismissed doubts the party might have staged the attack itself, adding that the party wanted to serve the country in peace without public and media attention.
He also insisted the party had no enemies or personal conflicts that could have led to the incident.