Thailand: bombers "not foreign terrorists", yet bomber didn't speak Thai?
With still no claims as to responsibility for the Bangkok bombing, criticism is growing as to the Thai government's handling of the case and the inconsistencies as to its official views. &nbsp;Whilst an official government spokesman said that the involvement of foreign terrorist groups had been ruled out, it seems that the local motorcycle taxi-driver who drove the bomber to the Shrine said that the suspect spoke no Thai, showed the address of his destination in English and spoke into his mobile phone in "another language". International experts also point out the the type of bomb used required a high level of knowledge that has hitherto not been seen in Thailand, suggesting that the bomb-making expertise comes from an external group.
BANGKOK — Thai authorities said on Thursday that although the suspects in the deadly bombing of a shrine in Bangkok this week were believed to be a foreign man and at least 10 accomplices, the attack was not likely to be the work of international terrorists because foreign intelligence agencies had not seen any movement on the terrorist networks they monitor.

Col. Winthai Suvaree, a spokesman for the ruling military junta, said in a televised statement that the government had all but ruled out a connection to international terrorism after consulting with foreign agencies, although he did not explain how that preliminary conclusion had been reached.

But a police spokesman, Lt. Gen. Prawut Thavornsiri, told reporters that the agencies consulted had been unable to confirm activity by known terrorist groups. “They mostly said the key international networks that are on the watch list haven’t carried out any movement yet,” he said. “People are trying to link to it, but frankly speaking, there’s no evidence yet showing it was international terrorism.”

The Thai police have identified the man being sought in the bombing, which killed 20 people, as a foreigner of Caucasian, Arab or mixed race. His image was captured by a security camera as he placed a backpack in the spot on Monday evening where, minutes later, an explosion ripped through the crowded Erawan Shrine, a Hindu site that is particularly popular with Chinese and other Asian tourists.