New Years Eve Bomb Attacks in Bangkok

A series of bombs went off on New Years eve in Bangkok.

Presently, wire services report six bomb attacks leaving 3 dead and over 20 injured. These attacks were at police stations, a bus stop, and also Victory Monument area in downtown Bangkok.

Blogger Lost Boy lives in the vicinity of Victory Monument is live blogging that attack:

At 6.45 p.m. today, less than 300 meters from my apartment at Victory Monumentin Bangkok, a bomb exploded killing one and injuring four. The incident occurred at the bus station next to Center One mall. I arrived around 7.30 p.m. and the scene was a mixture of shock and curiosity...

Newley.com has news and some background info, and summarizes Bangkok Pundit's hypothesis as to who might be responsible.

2Bangkok.com reports that 3 more bombs have gone off in major centres of the city.

CNN quotes the Thai PM:

The bombings exploded almost simultaneously. It must have been planned," Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont told reporters...

But (Thai National police chief Gen Ajirawit Suphanaphesat) said the insurgents were probably not behind Sunday's attacks, AP reported.

Why did he say that? How is it that Gen Ajirawit knows so much as to say such a thing at this early hour? Such speculation strikes me as vaguely reminiscent of the aftermath of the Madrid Bombings when the Spanish PM tried was too quick to blame those attacks on the wrong group.

I am presently in Singapore where I learned about the attack from Singapore television at about 1:00am (12:00am Bangkok).