Police believed the bombing, which injured five people, was part of ongoing unrest in the deep South.
Pattani police’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team and forensic police officers yesterday morning inspected the bomb and fire scene where the Piya Moo 3 co-operative shop, a petrol station, the Tambon Piya Mumang Administrative Organisation Office, a drinking water factory and a community financial group office were destroyed.
The blast also shattered glass windows and damaged Ban Piyamumang School and 10 houses.
Police found that suspected insurgents in a pick-up truck went to the co-operative shop when 10 customers were inside and left a small bomb in a spray paint canister at the shop entrance.
Other team members parked a black Honda Accord sedan carrying a time bomb near the shop’s entrance before driving away in the truck, police said.
The sedan carried a fake licence plate (the original number is linked to a Songkhla-based pick-up truck), police said.
Police believe the suspects intended to detonate the small bomb to lure people out of the shop and then detonate the larger car bomb. However, the small bomb didn’t go off and people were still inside when the car bomb exploded at around 6.20pm.
Five people received slight injuries. They are Santi Wangnurak, 31; Suchada Phrompakdee, 33; Yutthakan Chunet, 41; Amornmat Chandee, 40 and Wannapol Rungsuwan, 27.
It took about an hour to put out the fire.
On the same evening at about 6pm, a grenade was thrown from a motorcycle carrying two men at a shop near a temple in Tambon Tuyong of Pattani’s Nong Chik district, but it did not explode.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday said he would not criticise state officers over |the Pattani car bombing as the |intelligence agency had warned of such an attack.
Prawit said insurgents would |try to do anything to boost their capacity to commit violence.
He said the government’s peace dialogue with separatists had progressed.
He added that Thailand had |submitted a list of people with dual Thai and Malaysian citizenship, which would be helpful in tackling trans-national terrorists and human traffickers.
He also said the government was ready to set up a joint committee to oversee the construction of a Thai-Malaysian border fence at certain areas that could not be patrolled.

PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday urged Thais to show their allegiance to the next royal head of state while still remembering the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
“We have to do more good deeds in memory of His Majesty the King. I believe His Majesty is still with us somewhere – in the sky, in the water or on the land that he helped restore and preserve. I ask everyone to always remember His Majesty,” Prayut said.
“And also, we should show our allegiance to the next king, Rama X,” he added, referring to the 10th monarch of the Chakri Dynasty.
The prime minister was speaking to local residents and officials during his visit to Pathum Thani, where he inspected a royal project and the progress of a water management plan.
He said the Thais should also look outward in order to deal with global problems that have an impact on the country.
“The world has several issues involving the economy, terrorism, natural disasters, epidemics and changes. We need to look at the outside world, and not just at ourselves. I admire the way we deal with internal problems. We have achieved satisfactory success but I hope we will do better,” General Prayut said.
“We have to work together to overcome the obstacles,” he added.
Meanwhile, the government has called on all Thais to join nationwide activities to be held on Tuesday in memory of the late King.
Government House will be the main venue for the activity, to be led by PM Prayut. People from all over the country can take part at designated venues in their respective provinces, Government Spokesman Lt-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday.
“The prime minister would lead his Cabinet members and government officials to sing the National Anthem at 8am on Tuesday. Then he will lead the participants to take an oath of allegiance in front of His Majesty’s portrait and sing the Royal Anthem,” said Sansern.
The spokesman said the event at Government House would be broadcast live from 6.30am. Thais living abroad can hold commemorative activities on Sunday or |any day of their convenience, he added.
Mourners heading to the Grand Palace to bid a final farewell to the monarch can also join the PM-led activity, as the city administration will arrange a venue for the participants, Prime Minister’s Office Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana said.
“The additional activity at Sanam Luang will not affect the mourners queuing to enter the Grand Palace,” Suwapan, who also serves as secretary of the government’s Command Centre for Monitoring Situations, told a press briefing yesterday.
Regarding traffic management, of the 27 roads around Sanam Luang that were closed on previous weekends, only eight will be closed today and tomorrow, Suwapan said. The decision came after the centre assessed traffic volume in the area and found no mass event being held near the Grand Palace this weekend which could obstruct transportation for the mourners, he explained.
Suwapan asked people not to park their vehicles along roads around Sanam Luang and instead use public transportation or free shuttle buses to travel to the Grand Palace.
Deputy national police spokesman Pol Maj-General Piyapan Pingmuang yesterday confirmed that only eight roads adjacent to the Grand Palace that were closed to traffic to accommodate mourners would stay off-limits for vehicles.
He said the lifting of 27 road-closures came as “things have fallen into place”.
Updates on the matter are available at the Traffic Police Division’s website, http://www.trafficpolice.go.th, and its hotline 1197, according to the spokesman. Suwapan yesterday said that in an attempt to manage long queues and the huge numbers of people heading to Sanam Luang, the centre in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society had finished developing an online reservation system for queue management.
The online system will be tested on December 1, he said, adding the implementation plan has not yet rolled out and is pending further discussion.
Regarding the issue of homeless people around Sanam Luang, Suwapan said their number has decreased due to the cooperation of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.
According to the ministry statement issued yesterday, tactics used to tackle the homeless vary. These include sending them back to their original residence, to the ministry shelter Ban Mit Maitree for rehabilitation, or to related organisations for proper treatment.

Korean man bailed after arrest for 2009 murder
SUPACHAI PHETCHTHEWEE
THE NATION

He was returning to Thailand to collect the body of his 26-year-old son who had committed suicide, police said yesterday.
Moon Wang Sik, who was wanted by the Phra Khanong Provincial Court, had fled to his home country, Lumpini Police Station investigator Pol Lieutenant Supakorn Sangklub said.
However, the suspect claimed he had served his sentence for the crime in his home country. Thai police are awaiting information from their South Korean counterparts about the claim.
The suspect secured release on bail after paying Bt500,000 cash, Supakorn said. Police had asked him to give testimony on December 1 and banned him from leaving the Kingdom until then.
Supakorn said the Korean told police he had come to collect the body of his son Moon Song Jun, who fell to his death from the 19th floor of a Yannawa condominium on November 16.
An informed source said the son stayed with his South Korean mother, who had worked at a Silom jewellery shop, at the rented condominium unit for the past five years. His mother returned to her home country in mid-October, but the son continued to stay in Thailand without going to school or work, the source said. He kept to himself and came down to buy food twice a day.
Following the reported suicide, police said they did not find any sign of struggle in the room except a blood trail from the toilet to the balcony. The son had cuts on the left wrist and left thigh.

The bureau said in the statement released on Thursday night that Her Majesty had a high fever on Wednesday while she had full consciousness. Doctors checked her blood and found that her white blood cell count was higher than |normal, indicating inflammation.
The team of doctors sought Her Majesty’s permission to take her to Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital for a thorough check.
A subsequent X-ray examination found that Her Majesty had lung inflammation and doctors administered an |antibiotic. The statement added that Her Majesty’s |temperature subsided on Thursday and she could breathe well and eat well. The doctors will continue to administer antibiotics to Her Majesty and continue her treatment, the statement said.

The flyover will be closed during a test session on Tuesday and Wednesday from 10am to 3pm and on Thursday and Friday from 8am to 5pm. It will be closed for demolition the next day.
Assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau Pol Lt-General Witthaya Prayongpant said traffic around Ratchayothin intersection would be more heavily congested after the flyover is closed.
Motorists heading straight will have to wait for a traffic light at the intersection instead of crossing the flyover.
“We will ease the heavier traffic congestion by adding one more lane, from two to three lanes, and shortening the duration of the red light,” Witthaya said.
He added that motorists could take detour routes to avoid the expected traffic jam.
“They can take five detour routes such as entering Paholyothin Soi 21 and exit at Vibhavadi 30, entering Paholyothin Soi 23 and exit at Vibhavadi 32, entering Ratchadapisek Soi 36 and exit at Paholyothin Soi 33, entering Ratchadapisek Soi 46/1 or Ratchadapisek Soi 48 and exit at Paholyothin Soi 35, and entering Paholyothin Soi 30 and exit at Ratchadapisek Soi 36, 32, or 30,” he said.
The flyover will be replaced by a tunnel under the intersection with construction expected to be completed by February 2019.
The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) posted a message on its website saying the existing flyover would obstruct the construction of new flyover on Paholyothin Road.
The message added that a new flyover would have to be five metres higher with a longer ramp, which would obstruct the construction of Green Line train stations Paholyothin 24 and Ratchayothin.

Farmers were told to be prepared for the possible flooding of paddy fields as they are ready to harvest because Ubolratana Dam in Khon Kaen was increasing its daily discharge to 21 million cubic metres per day. The dam is now deemed to be at 103-per-cent safe capacity.
Irrigation Office 6 director Pricha Janthong said people who live near the Chi River should prepare for possible flooding in low-lying areas.
“Heavy rain of up to 200 millimetres during the past few days in the upper reaches [above the dam] issued large amounts of water into the reservoir and made the water storage increase beyond maximum capacity,” Pricha said.
“We need to discharge more water, from 15 million cubic metres to 21 million cubic metres, starting from today until next week. This is to relieve the flood situation on the upper side,” Pricha said yesterday.
According to the Royal Irrigation Department, Ubolratana reservoir held 2,496 million cubic metres of water yesterday, and nearly 200,000 rai (32,000 hectares) of farmland had already flooded above the dam.
After the warning, downstream farmers in Khon Kaen were hurrying to harvest their crops.
Anong Manchamuk, a farmer in Ubol Rattana district, said farmers in the area were trying to first harvest from fields that were more prone to flooding to avoid the loss of their crops.
“I am very worried that my crop will be damaged, because I invested so much in the field and right now the paddy is nearly ripe and ready to harvest,” Anong said.
She said her crop would be destroyed if the river overflows and floods her fields because there was not enough labour available to harvest the paddy immediately. Paddy from flooded fields has high moisture levels and sells for very low prices.
Meanwhile, Maha Sarakham Governor Sanae Nonthachot said relevant agencies were ready to help farmers.
“We are closely monitoring the water situation and ready to deploy officers to help the farmers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also suggest that people monitor the water situation and prepare for possible floods in low-lying area as well,” Sanae said.

THE COMMITTEE overseeing National Thai Language Day is planning to distribute His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s literary works to libraries and schools nationwide.
The decision was made to celebrate the late monarch’s literary contributions and to mark his royal funeral.
His Majesty passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on October 13, plunging the nation into deep grief.
The committee, chaired by Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat, met yesterday to plan activities to honour the late King. “Among His Majesty’s literary works are the ‘Story of Mahajanaka’ and the ‘Story of Tongdaeng’,” Vira said.
The minister also called on students to compose poems or write messages in honour of the late King, as his ministry is planning to compile such pieces for the archives.
“We have gathered more than 10,000 messages and 500 poems to date,” he said.
He also said that publishers would soon be invited to join a fair to sell books penned by His Majesty. The monarch had keen interest in the Thai language and supported its conservation. On July 29, 1966, he attended a meeting on the language at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Arts, and later the government named July 29 as National Thai Language Day.
Separately, the Fine Arts Department sent officials to Sanam Luang to inspect the site for the construction of the royal crematorium. The department said it needs to have further discussions with the government before choosing the exact location for the crematorium.
Meanwhile, Sanam Luang was continued to be full of black-clad mourners yesterday, and in order to accommodate the huge flow of people, the authorities have built a new bridge across a small canal to provide easy access.
Thousands of people from across the country have been heading to Sanam Luang to pay their respects to His Majesty and perhaps be a little closer to him. His Majesty’s body rests inside the Grand Palace, which is right next to Sanam Luang.
Since the palace can only accommodate some 30,000 mourners per day, the rest have to pay their respects from the other side of the palace walls.
Also yesterday, more than 100 mourners began cycling to the Grand Palace from their home province of Ubon Ratchathani. They plan to queue up in front of the Grand Palace to see if they can get an opportunity to prostrate in front of the King’s body.

Prajin will seek to meet with Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder and chief executive officer, when attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit (Apec) in Peru this weekend.
Yesterday’s meeting at Government House follows an attempt by the government to get online service providers to take action against “inappropriate content” when there is a violation of local laws.
Prior to yesterday’s meeting, Facebook said in a statement: “We have never provided account information or content of any Facebook user to the government of Thailand, nor do we proactively monitor people’s content or conversations for potential violations of local law.
“We apply a strict legal process to any government request for data or content restrictions and we list the requests we are getting and any content restrictions made in our Government Requests Report.
“Our policies and process for government requests have not changed, and are consistent for governments around the world. Our meeting with the Thai government was to outline this process,” said the statement.
Following the meeting, Prajin said that Facebook said it urged users not to use the social network against local law, and avoid distortion of information and hate speech.
“They said they would raise our concerns on [content] infringement of local laws at the company’s meeting,” he said.
The Prayut government has asked online and social media platforms, including Google, Line and Facebook, to monitor and remove content that violates the lese majeste law following the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
It is the first time that Facebook executives have met government officials. The other two giant online service platforms, Google and Line, met with the government last month.
Earlier, a statement by Line sent to Deutsche Presse-Agentur said: “We do not monitor or block user content. User content is also encrypted, and cannot be viewed by Line.”
In a statement sent to The Nation recently, Google said it would consider the Thai government request to remove certain sensitive information on a case-by-case basis.
Prajin said yesterday that he would seek to meet with Zuckerberg in Lima during the Apec Summit on November 19-20.
The deputy PM said he might talk about the potential for having Facebook establish a data centre in Thailand and for further business opportunities here. He is scheduled to attend the Apec Summit on behalf of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Zuckerberg is scheduled to deliver a presentation titled “The Connectivity Revolution”.
Deputy Government Spokesman Lt-General Werachon Sukhondhapatipak said Prayut would suspend his overseas trips scheduled for this year during the mourning period for the late King.