Foreign suspect arrested in Bangkok bombing

Thailand authorities arrested a foreign suspect Saturday in the nation's deadliest bomb attack that killed 20 people nearly two weeks ago in Bangkok.

The 28-year-old man was arrested Saturday on the outskirts of the capital, police spokesman Prawuth Thavornsiri said at a televised news conference Saturday evening.

The suspect is a foreigner, but officials declined to say which country he is from. Thai police say the suspect was holding a Turkish passport, but mistakes on the document suggest it could be a forgery.

Officials did not release his name but showed photographs of the suspect, who has short brown hair, a light beard and a mustache.

Prawuth said police found evidence of bomb making materials and a number of passports inside the man's apartment.

The Aug. 17 blast at the Erawan Shrine in an upscale shopping district left 20 dead and more than 120 injured. A second bomb detonated a day later, but there were no reports of injuries.

"Our preliminary investigation shows that he is related to both bombings," Prawuth said.

The suspect is a foreigner, but officials declined to say which country he is from.

"We found dozens of passports inside his room. We have to check which nationalities they belong to," deputy police chief Chakthip Chaijinda said, according to the Bangkok Post.

Chakthip said it is not yet clear whether the man detained is the one seen wearing a yellow T-shirt and leaving a backpack under a bench just before the explosion at the shrine. Police have said they believe more than one person carried out the attack.

"He didn't do it alone, for sure. It's a network," national police chief Somyot Poompanmoung said.