The government has played down a car bomb warning issued to schools in the Sathon area last week, insisting it was based on an old security alert.
The move came after a photo of the warning letter issued by the Sathon District Office to schools in the Sathon area on Oct 28 went viral online, sparking fears of an imminent bomb threat.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said Wednesday the district office chief only intended to urge the importance of continuing to maintain security surveillance measures set out in a security warning issued weeks ago.
Early last month deputy national police chief Pol Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul confirmed police had received intelligence about possible attacks in three locations between Oct 25-30 in the capital and in nearby provinces.
That prompted the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to order that security be stepped up.
The public should not panic as security officials continue to maintain stringent security measures, despite the warning in the letter being linked to a threatened attack that was supposed to occur late last month, Gen Prawit said.
According to a copy of the letter posted on social media, the City Clerk was told by security agencies to increase security measures and look out for a black Honda Accord bearing Bangkok licence plate No.1563 and a black Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck bearing Yala licence plate No.3597 that could be used in car bomb attacks.
The letter was dated Oct 28 and signed by Sathon District Office director Phanitnat Thana-aphinan. The copy was stamped as being received by the school to which it was delivered on Monday.
City clerk Phatthrarut Thanthranon said the warning letter was part of measures implemented as a result of the earlier alert.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Dapong Ratanasuwan said the ministry is willing to cooperate with all intelligence agencies to provide the safest learning environment for students and teachers. "There are more than 30,000 schools nationwide, so we need to rely on intelligence agencies to keep all of them safe, but right now I don't want any schools to panic," he said.
A staff member at Saint Louis School in Sathon district told the Bangkok Post the school had informed teachers and parents about the Sathon District Office letter and had printed it out and put it on a school noticeboard. The school decided not to close after a Sathon District Office official called later on Monday, explained the situation and said there was no need to panic.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Muhi, 20, from Pattani's Nong Chik district, one of 11 suspects wanted by police in connection with bombing and arson attacks in seven southern provinces on Aug 10-12, allegedly broke down in tears and confessed during questioning Wednesday.
A source said Mr Muhammad, one of only two of the 11 suspects detained, burst into tears and confessed while being questioned by deputy national police chief Pol Gen Srivara in a prison in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.
He confessed to conspiring with three other people to carry out three bomb attacks in Phuket on Aug 10-12 but said he only carried out one at Paradise market at Patong beach, said the source.