CAR BOMB DISCOVERED NEAR PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 005203

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MLS
PACOM FOR FPA (HUSO)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2016
TAGS: ASEC PINS MOPS PGOV TH
SUBJECT: CAR BOMB DISCOVERED NEAR PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE

REF: A. BANGKOK 5158


B. BANGKOK 4610

Classified By: DCM Alexander A. Arvizu. Reason 1.4 (b)


1. (C) Summary: On August 24, Police defused a large car bomb
in the neighborhood of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's
residence and arrested an Army Lieutenant who works for a
controversial retired Army Major General, Panlop Pinmanee.
General Panlop has been dismissed from his position as Deputy
Director for the Internal Security Operation Command (ISOC).
Thaksin called an immediate meeting of top military and
police officials. Officials at the Ministry of Defense (MOD)
appeared surprised by news of the arrest during a meeting
with JUSMAG. Some sources speculate that the story is a
set-up to gain sympathy for the PM, or even to provide an
excuse for him to declare a state of emergency; this would
enable him to clamp down on protest and opposition activity.
We do not rule out the possibility of an assassination plot
against the PM, but elements of this alleged assassination
attempt raise obvious questions. End Summary


2. (C) At approximately 0830 in the morning on August 24,
police discovered containers packed with urea fertilizer,
fuel oil, and dynamite sticks in a car in the neighborhood of
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawtra's residence, along the
normal route of his motorcade. (According to some reports,
the PM's security detail had contacted police and asked them
to locate a vehicle that they had seen acting suspiciously.)
A Police EOD team defused the explosive device with a water
cannon. They provided RSO with a description of the bomb.
They reported that the back seat and the truck of the car
contained about 60 kgs of anfo (mixed urea fertilizer and
fuel oil),several pounds of TNT and C4, det cord and a
remote detonator. They told RSO that the bomb would have
caused damage for an estimated one square kilometer. Thai
Army Lieutenant Thawatchai Klinchana, the car's owner, was
arrested, apparently returning to the car to move it from the
parking space. Police speculate that the car was parked along
the normal route PM Thaksin travels in the morning. They say
that Thaksin left earlier than expected this morning.
Therefore, driver may gotten to the site too late, and
returned to move the car to a safer location. An Army
contact confirmed to Emboffs that Lt. Thawatchai worked as a
driver/security guard for Internal Security Operation Command
(ISOC) Deputy Director Major General (ret.) Panlop Pinmanee.
Press reports and military contacts say that General Panlop
was immediately dismissed from ISOC. Panlop denied any
involvement in an attempt on the PM's life, saying, "You know
me. If I were behind it, I would not have missed." (Comment:
Although the military is polarized over the PM (ref B),
Panlop has not been identified by anyone as an anti-Thaksin
activist. On the contrary, he is widely reported to be close
to Thaksin. Further background on Panlop is in para 5.)


3. (C) JUSMAGCHIEF was attending a briefing at MOD with
senior Thai military officials when an aide, carrying a
police mug shot of LT Thawatchai, entered the room to notify
Permanent Secretary General Sirichai Thanyasiri about the
arrest. Sirichai excused himself to brief Defense Minister
GEN Thammarak Isarangura Na Ayutthaya. MOD officials
appeared agitated on hearing about the possible bombing
attempt. There was no indication that the officers present
had foreknowledge of the incident. A few minutes later,
General Thammarak left MOD in a motorcade to go to Government
House. According to media reports, Thaksin summoned the top
military and police leadership to an urgent meeting at
Government House.

COMMENT
--------------


4. (C) Many of our contacts are expressing skepticism about
the story, and are concerned that the whole incident may have
been fabricated to gain Thaksin sympathy, or even to give him
an excuse to declare a state of emergency in Bangkok, to
clamp down on political and protest activity against him
which has dominated recent headlines. "Planting" a large
bomb seems like an extreme measure, but Thaksin is fighting
for his political life. According to press reports, the

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deputy Thai Rak Thai spokesman was quoted noting the
connection of General Panlop to anti-Thaksin activist, former
General Chamlong (a military academy classmate),as well as
to former Democrat Party head Chuan Leekphai. We certainly
don't rule out the possibility that there could be an
assassination plot against the controversial PM, or even that
some military officers could be involved. However, there are
some aspects of the story that don't seem to make sense.
There does not seem to be any reason for General Panlop, or
for the driver arrested, to take the lead in such an
assassination attempt. The bomb would have caused damage in
such a wide area, with a possibility of many civilian
casualties -- something that seems out of character for the
military. Nonetheless, we believe that our police EOD
sources (who were trained by ATA and in the US) have honestly
reported to us what they found. This will certainly have a
very serious, and probably very negative effect, on the
efforts to resolve the political crisis. END COMMENT


BACKGROUND - MAJ. GENERAL (RET.) PANLOP PINMANEE
-------------- ---


5. (C) Major General (ret.) Panlop achieved notoriety
following the April 28, 2004 Krue Se Mosque incident. Panlop
was the officer in charge at the Mosque when Muslim militants
barricaded themselves inside after attacking a nearby
military checkpoint. Panlop ignored a direct order from
then-Deputy Prime Minister Chawalit Yongchaiyudh to surround
the Mosque but not attack. Panlop ordered a Special Forces
team into the historic Mosque; 31 militants were killed in
the raid. Following the incident - which was widely
criticized by human rights groups - Chavalit fired Panlop
from his military command, but PM Thaksin allowed him to keep
his position in ISOC. Panlop has been involved in other
controversial actions. He was part of a group of "young
Turks" in the military who staged a failed coup d'etat during
the 1980s against then-Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda.
Panlop is well known within the military as having hawkish
views, and he has urged a harsh crackdown on militants in
southern Thailand.


BOYCE