Thailand arrests primary suspect in Bangkok bombing

Site of the Bangkok bombing
(Image credit: Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images)

The "main suspect" in the Aug. 17 Bangkok shrine bombing that killed 20 was arrested at a checkpoint on the Cambodian border, Thailand's prime minister said Tuesday. The suspect is the second foreigner to be detained in connection with the attack.

The motivation for the bombing is still unknown, although there are many possibilities revolving around political rivalry, organized crime, Thailand's southern rebellions, sympathizers of China's Uighur minority, or Islamist militants, AFP reports. Thailand says they are interrogating the suspect, noting that he was in the checkpoint town because he was "probably running away."

On Monday, Thai police said they found bomb-making materials at an apartment in the Min Buri district of Bangkok, the second such discovery since Saturday.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.