New Year's Eve Bombings In Bangkok Update

The investigative portion of the New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok is in full swing:

Prelminary footwork seems to be leading back to disgruntled Thaksin supporters in the police and military.

BANGKOK, Thailand - Authorities detained 15 suspects including some military officers over a string of New Year's bombings that killed three people, police said Saturday. ...

"I was informed by police that they have detained some suspects and it is very regrettable that some of the officers are involved," Prime Minister Surayud Julanont said. "It is the power of police to investigate and file charges if they have evidence."

Col. Sansern Khaewkhamnerd, a spokesman for the military-installed Council for National Security, said soldiers were part of the raid because some suspects are army officers. He refused to elaborate.

The speculative portion of the New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok is in full swing:

Opinion polls are showing less support for the coup-installed government, falling from 90% to 50% in a short while. In addition, Thailand's stock market is taking a hammering due to nervous investors.

A poll released on Friday suggested the bombs were having their desired effect, with about half of 1,600 Bangkok residents saying they wanted the army-backed government to stay, against 60 percent in December and 90 percent in October when it took power.

The Thai bourse -- Asia's worst performer of 2006 -- closed down 3.1 percent, after falling 4.5 percent in the first two trading days of 2007 amid fears that the bombs presaged a year of violent political upheaval.

Leisure industry stocks were particularly hard-hit, with top movie theater operator Major Cineplex falling 8.2 percent as the capital's party-loving population stayed in. Food delivery firms reported jammed switchboards and soaring sales.

In related news, the Thai government is telling UBC... and UBC has agreed... not to air a CNN interview with ousted Prime Minister Thaksin. UBC is the only cable network that carries CNN in Thailand.

(It is interesting to note in the AFP article how the current Thai government has gone from being referred to as "coup leaders" to the new term of "junta"... a much less flattering word reserved primarily for the contemptible government of Myanmar... ever since the coup leaders / junta made a move to block the Thaksin interview.)