Police in Thailand are looking for two new suspects in connection with a bombing in Bangkok that left 20 dead.
"Police were looking for a 26-year-old Thai woman and a foreign man in his 40s after expanding their search to a property in the city's Min Buri district. They found fertilizer, digital watches and an explosives detonator."That came after a raid on an a decaying apartment building in the nearby Nong Chok district on Saturday, when police arrested a foreigner and seized several kinds of explosives and more than 200 passports."
Over the weekend, Thailand's police chief also awarded his own employees the $84,000 reward for the arrest.
"Somyot Pumpanmuang said the officers deserved it as there had been no public tip-off to help them. "Police chief Pumpanmuang said that the Thai police should be credited for capturing the suspect. "'The accomplished work that led to the arrest is truly the work of the authorities and their investigative abilities. This was the work of the Thai authorities, there were no tip-offs,' he added."
The New York Times reports that the man may not be the government's prime suspect. The police chief, the paper reports, made the announcement of the arrest and the reward holding a bag full of money.
The Times adds:
"The decision quickly added to criticism on social media over police handling of the bombing investigation. Many Thais have expressed doubt that the bombing will be solved, citing a reputation Thai police have for corruption and forcing confessions.
"Within days of the blast, Somyot said he was offering a 1 million baht ($28,000) reward to help find the perpetrators. The sum quickly tripled after he said two of his friends who wished to remain nameless had chipped in 2 million baht ($56,000) more."
