Arrest warrants will be issued for seven or eight suspects in connection with the car bombing at the Central Festival Samui mall in Surat Thani on April 10, police say.
Police are gathering evidence to seek court approval for the arrest warrants, national police chief Somyot Pumpunmuang said yesterday.
This will take time since the court could easily dismiss a warrant request if police provided insufficient evidence, Pol Gen Somyot said.
He called on the public not to pressure authorities into rushing the investigation.
Police believe the suspects were assigned specific tasks leading up to the attack such as recruiting accomplices and gathering vehicles, tools and equipment used in the bomb attack.
When asked if any political figures were included in the group of suspects, Pol Gen Somyot said he could not reveal any further details since the investigation was ongoing.
Meanwhile, former Pheu Thai MP Wan Muhammad Nor Matha denied that the Wadah group, a group of influencial Muslim politicians led by himself, was involved in the Koh Samui attack.
Mr Wan Nor issued the denial after officials said prominent politicians could be behind the explosion.
He insisted the group, which is based in the Deep South, had nothing to with the blast and was not seeking to create political divisions in the country.
He was referring to media reports, citing an allegation by an unnamed source.
Mr Wan Nor said the allegation was aimed at discrediting the Wadah group and called on the accuser to provide solid evidence proving the group or any of its members were behind the bombing.
Chavalit Wichayasut, acting deputy secretary-general of the Pheu Thai Party, yesterday leaped to defend former prime minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh after reports linked him to the explosion.
Gen Chavalit was suspected of meeting insurgents in the South during a visit to Surat Thani prior to the blast.
He was there for the Khao Chong Chang memorial ceremony, Mr Chavalit said.
Gen Chavalit has been working in national security his whole life. The accusation is nonsense, he said.
