At 12:10pm on Sunday, an unnamed “good samaritan” noticed a strange clear bag hanging from a rail inside shop number nine of the Paradise Plaza night market on Rat-uthit 200 Pi Rd in central Patong.
An EOD bomb detection unit was dispatched to the scene, arriving by 1pm at the open-air indoor bazaar-style market – where clothes and souvenirs are sold to pedestrians from midday untill late – was quickly evacuated.
Inside the bag, authorities found a mobile-phone-cloth-wire contraption that resembled the same type of device found in Patong on August 10, which the Phuket Provincial Police Commandar in charge of the investigation initially denied was a an explosive device.
However, considering that two actual bombs were detonated in Patong on the morning of August 12 (resulting in only one injury), and in light of the description from a security guard who discovered one of the contraptions on August 10, many were left doubtful about the commander’s initial conclusion.
However, the EOD bomb unit inspecting the contraption found today confirmed with provincial police superiors overseeing the inspection that the device was indeed a bomb that had failed to detonate.
Reporting to Pol Col Saman Chainarong, deputy commander of Phuket provincial police, a representive of the EOD unit, who asked not to be named, said it appeared that the contraption had likely been hanging on the rail for several days already, unnoticed.
He noted that the device was initially timed to go off late Thursday, early Friday (August 12) at 3am.
Pol Col Saman declined to comment noting that he had yet to report on the EOD's finding to his superior, Phuket Provincial commandar, Pol Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen.
A second incident of a suspected bomb was reported this afternoon but turned out to be a false alarm.