The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister and NCPO head General Prayut Chan-o-cha and was held before the weekly Cabinet meeting.

Prayut, looking stressed, refused to speak about the bombing before he attended the meeting.

Asked whether his deputy and the Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan had taken leave on Tuesday, following rumors on him being sick, Prayut replied: “So what? Can’t he take a leave?”

The Army chief and NCPO secretary General Chalermchai Sittisart was present to provide an update on the situation following the bombing and on intelligence measures in place while the police chief General Chaktip Chaijinda will provide an update the progress of the investigation.