After a series of bomb attacks through the eve of 2007, Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, calmed down on Monday, as some Bangkokians started petty family bees celebrating the new year.

At the same time, an investigation into the nine bomb attacks, eight in Bangkok and one in northern Chiang Mai, has made some progress as the police identified the type of the bombs.

Police spokesman Pol. Gen. Achirawit Suphanphesat said on Monday that the type of bombs used in most of the New Year's Eve attacks has been affirmed. He said they were small, about 5 by 3 by 1 inch, made primarily from ammonium nitrate, and set off by digital clocks. He called them "M-4 bombs".

Earlier, Jongrak Juthanon, assistant police commissioner- general, has been commissioned with probing into the double wave of bombings which killed three people and injured some 40 including nine foreigners from Britain, Hungary, Serbia and the United States on New Year's Eve.

Jongrak said he would start by instructing teams to watch tapes made by closed-circuit TV cameras at the Central World Plaza to see if they can spot anyone who might have been involved.

The Interior Ministry on Monday also set up a special operation center which will function on around-the-clock basis for seven days from January 1 to 8.

Pongpayome Wasaphuti, permanent secretary for Interior, said senior officials from various agencies of the Interior Ministry agreed that the country was in an irregular situation so the center should be set up.

The operation of the center might be extended if the situation remained irregular after the period.

He said the center would support other government agencies in dealing with the situation.

Although till now no evidence has indicated who was behind the bomb attacks, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on Monday hinted " politicians who have lost power" rather than the Islamic insurgency are behind the bombings, causing the camp of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to protest immediately.

"Based on various reports of intelligence agencies and evidence available, it was the work of people who lost political benefits, but I cannot clearly say which particular group was behind it," Surayud told a news conference.

And speculation was fueled by reports that the coup leaders were trying to summon one of Thaksin's closest aides, Prommin Lertsuridej.

As the former secretary-general to Thaksin's government, Prommin said on Monday that he has been invited by the Council for National Security (CNS) to help them with their inquires into the bomb blasts. Prommin immediately asked CNS deputy commander Gen Saprang Kanlayanamitr to delay the invitation.

However, the Thai Rak Thai camp which was founded by former premier Thaksin as well as Thaksin's personal lawyer have strongly denied involvement in the violence, saying that the violence was a result of failure to heed to a warning that southern insurgents were plotting to spread its campaign of terror to Bangkok.

Thaksin's lawyer Noppadon Patama said Thaksin had warned General Sonthi Boonyaratglin some time ago to keep a close watch over the militants in the country's south who might carry out bomb attacks in Bangkok.

Chaturon Chaisang, acting leader of the former ruling Thai Rak Thai Party, also denounced those responsible for the serial bomb blasts in Bangkok on Sunday, saying that he hoped the culprits would be found soon.

Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn on Monday made a personal visit to those injured from the multiple bomb attacks.

Source: Xinhua