Terror strikes Bangkok, top tourist hub for Indians

The terror attack near a Hindu shrine in the heart of Bangkok’s business district has sent shockwaves in the region. The blasts, which killed over 21 people and injured over 100, have received widespread coverage in India as Thailand remains a top low-cost tourist destination for thousands of Indians. Nearly a million Indian tourists visit Thailand every year.

The bomb is suspected to have been planted on a motorbike outside the Lord Brahma temple.

No one has claimed responsibility for the August 17 blasts, triggering speculation about the identity and motivations of attackers. “The perpetrators intended to destroy the economy and tourism, because the incident occurred in the heart of the tourism district,” said Thailand Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan.

Most of the tourists injured outside the Erawan shrine in the crowded business district of Chidlom were from China and Taiwan, according to some of the rescue agencies quoted in the local media.

The government would set up a “war room” to coordinate the response to the blast, the Nation television channel quoted Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha as saying.

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