Six devices go off at skytrain station, beside main road and at government complex

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Six small bombs have exploded in Bangkok, injuring at least four people, as the city plays host to ministers from the UK, US, China and Russia at an international summit.

The blasts happened at three locations including at a busy skytrain commuter station and beside one of the city’s busiest main roads, Rama 9. Three bombs went off at a government complex north of Bangkok and another failed to detonate.

Four people, including two street cleaners, were slightly injured and one was taken to hospital.

The prime minister, Prayut Chan-ocha, ordered an investigation. “The situation is being closely monitored and security measures have been tightened. The public is urged not to panic,” a statement said.

Prayut tweeted his condemnation of those who had planted the explosives and “damaged peace and the country’s image”.

At a press conference, Prayut said the motive for the attacks was not yet known. “There are bad people who created this situation, but we need to wait for the investigation to find out the reason behind it,” he said.

Chakthip Chaijinda, the chief of the Royal Thai police, said they were investigating whether the bombs were connected to the anti-military political activism of the so-called red shirt movement or to unrest in Thailand’s deep south region.

The devices that exploded were believed to be homemade and the size of table-tennis balls, and not designed to cause any major damage or casualties. No group claimed responsibility.

The attack appears to have been timed to embarrass the new government as it hosts

the Asean (Association of South-east Asian Nations) summit, attended by foreign ministers including the UK’s new foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, the US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi.

The explosions did not disrupt the summit and went off just before a speech by Pompeo in Bangkok in which he commended Thailand’s recent return to democracy after an election in March.

On Thursday night the Royal Thai police headquarters were evacuated after a man was seen planting a suspicious package. The bomb squad was called, the phone signal in the area was cut and a suspect was arrested and taken into custody. Police said two fake bombs were found and they were investigating whether the two incidents were connected.