One person was seriously injured in Bangkok when a handgrenade exploded this morning near the King Power Duty Free Shopping center in Soi Rang Nam in the inner city.
The bomb was the second attack on Bangkok this week, following an explosion on Ratchadamri Road opposite CentralWorld Mall on Sunday which left one person dead and nine injured.
The second bomb could further jeopardize Bangkok’s efforts to restore normalcy. The State of Emergency – which was lifted for six provinces on Thursday, including the former capital of Ayutthaya – will remain in place in Bangkok for the foreseeable future, said the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is confident the attacks in Bangkok are not deterring holidaymakers, however. During the first half of this year tourist arrivals were up 13 per cent year on year, it said, and they are expected to reach 15m in total by the end of the 2010.
By Linsey McNeill
