Thailand: Police investigate Turkish connection in Bangkok blast

The sketch of the Bangkok bombing suspect. Photo: Bangkok Post

Thai police said on August 27 that they were looking at arrivals of Turkish nationals in the days before a bomb attack at Erawan shrine in Bangkok on August 17 that killed at least 20 people.

Currently, the main evidence from the blast that police have is a security camera footage showing a man with a yellow shirt and dark hair removing a backpack after entering the shrine, and walking away before the explosion.

Local police and some security analysts have raised the possibility of a connection in the blast to the Turkish-speaking Muslim Uighur minority in China.

Last month, Thai authorities deported more than 100 Uighurs to China, leading to a protest outside Thailand's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

Thai media reported that police were investigating 15 to 20 Turkish people who had entered the country over the two weeks before the blast.
National police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri has confirmed the information, noticing that more Turkish probably entered Thailand than that number.

Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said Turkey has received no requests for any assistance from Thai authorities so far.-VNA