Bomb suspect came from Hua Lamphong train station, escaped to Lumpini Park after explosion

The tuk-tuk and motorcycle taxi drivers who transported the prime Bangkok bombing suspect to and from Erawan Shrine came forward to police to give statements yesterday.

The 47-year-old motorcycle driver told police yesterday he picked up the suspect at his motorcycle taxi queue on Soi Mahatlek Luang 1 between the shrine and Ratchadamri BTS station after he heard the blast, which he mistook for a transformer explosion.

The suspect, whom the driver described as having “a long, tapering chin, high nose, white skin, and was less than 170 centimeter tall,” handed him a drawn map of Lumpini Park written in English about three to five minutes after the blast.

As he was giving the man a ride, he heard him talking on his mobile phone. He could not identify the language but knew it wasn’t English and did not know if it was an incoming or outgoing call.

The driver dropped the man at the entrance of the park’s parking area but did not notice which way we went.

The 37-year-old tuk-tuk driver who gave the suspect a lift to Erawan Shrine was also questioned at the Metropolitan Police Bureau yesterday after he was offered a THB30,000 reward.

The three-wheeled taxi driver said he picked up the yellow-shirted man in front of Hua Lamphong train station. The man showed him a map and asked the driver to take him to Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok hotel near the Erawan Shrine.

The driver said he drove off after the fare was paid and denied any involvement in the attack, Bangkok Post reported.

The yellow-shirted man was seen on CCTV leaving his backpack near the fence of the Erawan Shrine only minutes before the blast. Thai police have identified him as the number one suspect in the horrific bombing that killed 20 and injured over 100.

Police released his sketch on Wednesday.