Thai police release suspect's sketch

The Erawan Hindu shrine reopened in Bangkok on Wednesday following Monday's bomb attack on the popular tourist destination. The blast left 20 people dead and 100 wounded.

Authorities have published a detailed sketch of the suspect. He has a light complexion, black hair, glasses and some stubble. National police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said the man could be "foreign or Thai."

Police also explained that the man was part of a larger "network." Investigations are centered on a man seen in a grainy security tape of the man believed to be planting a bomb 20 minutes before the explosion.

On Wednesday, the Southern Criminal Court in Bangkok said an "unnamed foreigner" was behind the attack and a conspiracy to commit "premeditated murder." The court issued a warrant for his arrest.

Police chief Somyot Poompanmoung announced this connection while entering a meeting with national police commanders. He told reporters that he was delivering orders from Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha who "is worried about the security of people and tourists in Thailand."

Experts have not ruled out the possibility of the suspect's link to militant groups like "Islamic State" and al Qaeda, but the police told Reuters they hadn't sought international assistance in the investigation.

Attacking a holy landmark

Worshippers and tourists were at the house of prayer in the Thai capital when the explosives were detonated on early Monday evening. No group has claimed responsibility for the strike.

At least 11 foreigners are among the victims, who include Chinese, British, Singaporean, Indonesian and Malaysian nationals.

The bomb ripped through one of the city’s busiest junctions, littering its commercial heart with body parts and motorcycle carcasses.

The shrine -- a typical example of the kingdom's unique mix of Hindu and Buddhist traditions -- and the surrounding area have already been mostly restored.

Almost a dozen Buddhist monks in saffron robes led prayers for the deceased, as mourners lit candles in their memory.

One visitor, Tommy Goh, had something extra to be thankful for. The Thai-Malaysian from Penang is only alive because the taxi from his hotel was delayed. Otherwise, he would have been at the shrine around the time of the explosion.

"Every year I come down to this shrine, we were meant to be here around 6.50-7pm but the taxi didn't arrive from the hotel... so we went somewhere else," he told AFP.

"Ten minutes later and it could have been so different."

While much of the site has been repaired, the Hindu deities still show traces of the carnage.

Two explosions linked

Police believe the bomb was made up of 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of explosives and ball bearings.

A second explosive at a pier in Bangkok on Tuesday has been connected, according to police. No one was injured, but fears are growing among the capital’s citizens.

"It's exactly the same, the equipment used to make it, the bomb size," Colonel Kamthorn Ouicharoen, of Thai bomb squad police, told AFP.

Police released a detailed sketch in an effort to catch the man on the video, who was seen wearing a yellow T-shirt and dark shorts entering the shrine with a backpack.

In the video, the man puts the rucksack under a bench and walks away holding a blue plastic bag and what police believe is a smartphone.

The blast occured several minutes later. Thai police confirmed this individual to be their prime suspect.

The police are offering a one million bath ($28,100) reward for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect. They are also looking for his two accomplices – one dressed in red and the other in white – shielding the prime suspect from the crowd as he placed the rucksack.

The explosion is unprecedented in Thailand. Despite a near decade-long political struggle, violence has been limited to fighting on the streets.

kb/jil (AFP/AP)