Dutch woman hurt as bombings rock Thailand tourist sites, killing four

By Janene Pieters on August 12, 2016 - 08:25
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People at Hua Hin hospital where injured people were rushed after explosions on 11 and 12 August 2016 (Photo: @EdwinWiek/Twitter). (People at Hua Hin hospital where injured people were rushed after explosions on 11 and 12 August 2016 (Photo: @EdwinWiek/Twitter))

Thailand was rocked by a series of explosions on Thursday night and Friday morning. At least four people were killed and many more were injured, including at least one Dutch tourist.

There were eight explosions in total, according to the BBC. There were four explosions over 24 hours in Hua Hin, where two people were killed. Two blasts in Surat Thani in which one person was killed. Two blasts in the tourist town of Patong on Phuket Island. And one blast in Trang, where one person died. According to the news agency, reports of sporadic blasts in the southern half of Thailand are still coming in.

According to RTL Nieuws, a 23-year-old Dutch woman was injured in one of the explosions in Hua Hin. German media reports that a second Dutch person may also be among the injured. According to BNR, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is investigating.

Dutch man Edwin Wiek witnessed the aftermath of one of the explosions in Hua Hin. Around 10:10 p.m. he heard a loud bang when a bomb went of in the entertainment center. Moments later a second bomb went of about 100 meters further. "I went to look at the site of the second attack, and was shocked", Wiek said to RTL Nieuws. "It was great havoc and there was a lot of blood. I also saw shoes, clothes and glasses lying on the ground."

According to BBC, small improvised bomb attacks were often used in Thailand at times of political unrest, but that came pretty much to a stop after the military took power in May 2014. The Thailand police ruled out international terrorism. According to the news agency, if insurgents are behind these attacks, it would make a significant change in tactics. In 12 years of conflict over 6 thousand people were killed, but tourists were never targeted.

These attacks come on a long weekend for the queen's birthday, days after the Thais voted in a referendum to implement a new constitution that will give the military more influence on politics and a few day before the one-year anniversary of an explosion at Erawan shrine in Bangkok that killed 20 people.

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