A day after the ETA detonated a bomb at Madrid's Barajas International Airport, nine bombs went off in Bangkok. Some planted, some were mere grenades dropped into police post from overhead pedestrian bridges.

After all, it's New Year's Eve, a perfect time for carnage and chaos with everybody milling about waiting for the crossing over to a new year.

So far, two has perished while 34 including eight tourists (two British, three Hungarians, two Serbs and an American) are injured.

When I heard the news, I almost shit in my pants. Four of my close friends and other acquaintances were holidaying in Bangkok. SMSes either didn't get through or they didn't answer. So I thought, "Fuck it! Just call them!" Thank god they answered the phone and are fine. It's at times like these that I realise how important my friends are to me; they are almost my family. I was silently freaking out while trying to get in touch with them. Thank God they are fine.

My heart really goes out to the people of Bangkok and the tourists there; they don't deserve this regardless of their political persuasion. They are just ordinary innocent civilians going out and enjoying themselves this New Year's Eve. The perpetrators of this attack are the lowest criminals. Attacking innocent civilians of all people? The muthafuckas should be shot!

Now, the only question is who did it. Is it the "undercurrents" (Thaksin's supporters/sympathisers) as suspected by authorities or are "overcurrents" (separatists in Southern Thailand) to be blamed?

Somehow I think it's the work of the separatists in Southern Thailand. I was kind of expecting this to happen when the violence in the south flared up a few years ago. The only question was when. Now we know.

And do you know what makes this end of the year even more "suay"? Four days ago on Boxing Day, an earthquake hit the coast off Southern Taiwan killing two. Fortunately, there were no tsunami and the only disruptions were collapsed houses and a general slow down in Asia's internet connectivity. And this was exactly two years after the Indian Ocean earthquake which caused a horrific tsunami which killed hundreds of thousands around the region.

BBC News - Bangkok explosions leave two dead

AsiaOne News - Bombs stun Bangkok on New Year's Eve; 2 dead, 34 wounded

Channel NewsAsia - Two dead as New Year blasts rock Thai capital

Labels: terrorism, thailand