Thailand police seek 10th suspect in temple blast

Thai police on Saturday said they were seeking an arrest warrant for a 10th suspect - a foreigner - in Thailand’s deadliest bombing at a Brahma temple as a court approved to extend the detention by 12 days for a man who was arrested after a massive raid with bomb-making materials.

Police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said authorities were seeking an arrest warrant for a 10th suspect, who was a foreigner but declined to reveal his nationality, the Bangkok Post reported.

A sketch of the new suspect was completed, he said.

Prawut suggested the suspect was deeply involved in the network that is believed to have carried out the August 17 bombing at the popular Erawan Brahma temple during rush-hour, and another one the next day near a busy river pier that caused no casualties as the bomb exploded in the water.

“There is nothing else to update because it’s still on secret operations,” he said, adding: “But it’s getting close now that we will be able to reveal. We expect some developments next week.” 

Arrest warrants have been issued for seven other suspects in the case and the police seems to have made considerable progress in their probe into the bombing that killed 20 people and injured over 100 others since the raid on an apartment in Bangkok’s outskirts on August 29.