A bomb planted in a passenger car parked in front of Kasikorn Bank's Ruesoh branch exploded yesterday morning but no one was injured, thanks to a tipoff and quick police action.
The black Honda was destroyed in the subsequent fire and the impact damaged the bank's door and 10 chambers of a nearby commercial building.
In the wreckage of the car, police found the bomb, detonated by a mobile phone, in a 20kilogram gas cylinder. They checked security cameras to look for the culprits.
There were no casualties of the blast thanks to a villager's tip to Pol SgtMajor Surin Siangon of Ruesoh police station. The villager said he had seen a suspiciouslooking young man park the car in front of the bank at around 6am and quickly flee on a waiting motorcycle.
Surin secured the area around the car and inspected it. He saw a mobile phone linked to an electrical circuit on the driver's seat and realised it was a homemade bomb, so he immediately alerted a bomb squad. However, the squad arrived too late, as the bomb was set to explode at 8.05am.
Ruesoh district chief Chamlong Kraidit praised the villager for the timely alert to police, hence preventing greater damage.
The culprits chose this spot because it was the district's financial centre and a place where Buddhist monks often come to receive alms, Chamlong said, adding that the authorities had delivered initial assistance to the bank and affected homes.