CRI听力:Thailand in Aftermath of Blast as Authorities Further Investigate

Viroj Lappaibonwong, communication officer from the Police General Hospital, says as of Thursday, there are still bodies of victims awaiting transfers back home.

"There are five Chinese mainlanders and two from Hong Kong, with one of them holding a British passport, to be sent back".

The attack in Bangkok happened at the Erawan shrine, a popular destination with tourists from China and other east Asian countries. 11 foreigners were among the 20 killed, while more than 100 other people were wounded.
　　　
Officials say the condition of some of the bodies has made identification of the victims difficult.
　
Police say at least 10 people are suspected of involvement in the attack, and they have appealed to Interpol for help in finding the man seen in video footage released after the bombing.

National police chief Somyot Pumpanmuang says the investigation shows the attack was planned at least a month in advance and a "big network" was involved.

"Yes, we will take another look at the CCTV footage, back for more than a month. We will check all the areas, how many people involved, we will trace back all of them."

Winthai Suvaree, the spokesman for the Thai junta, says international terrorists are not suspected in the attack.

"Security agencies have cooperated with agencies from allied countries and have come to the preliminary conclusion that the incident is unlikely to be linked to international terrorism."

There has been no claim of responsibility for the blast, which the government has said was designed to wreck an economy that relies heavily on tourism. Prayuth Chan-Ocha, Thailand's Prime Minister, says his government is not ruling out any possibilities regarding the attack's initiators, while warning that the blast signals a threat to all southeast Asian nations.

"It could be many issues. Politics and extremist group are all possibly responsible. I don't want to say anything right now. It is dangerous for ASEAN as well so we have to be careful. It could happen anytime."

Thai police have enhanced security measures in Bangkok since Monday.

Thailand's national police spokesman said that 10,000 extra officers had been put on duty in the Thai capital, apart from those who are investigating the crime. Many of them are plain clothes officers, mingling with crowds.

The Erawan shrine reopened to the public on Wednesday, attracting local residents and some visitors who wanted to pray and pay respects to the victims.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.