Police believe they have identified the man who parked a pickup truck rigged with explosives in a street in Sungai Kolok, Narathiwat, shortly before it exploded on Sunday.
Sukeeman Kubaru, 43, a native of Ban Lahan Nua in tambon Paluru of Sungai Padi district, Narathiwat, is thought to have fled across the border and to be hiding in the adjacent Malaysian state of Kelantan, Pol Col Kong-at Suwannakham, chief of Sungai Kolok police, said on Tuesday.
Police obtained a court warrant for his arrest on Monday, Pol Col Kong-at said.
He faces charges of attempted premeditated murder, illegal possession of explosives and committing an act of terrorism which caused injury and property damage.
Police questioned 24 witnesses and most of them said they saw Mr Sukeeman riding away on the back of a motorcycle after parking the pickup truck. Police said the suspect was reported to have fled to Kelantan after the bombing.
The explosion, near an army platoon post and a school, caused considerable damage, but no fatalities. Two people were wounded.
Investigators earlier suspected the bomber may have been involved in the blast that rocked the Central Festival store on Koh Samui last year.
Pol Col Kong-at said the motorcyclist who drove Mr Sukeeman away from the scene was believed to have been among a group led by Mr Sukeeman that bombed a military Humvee in Sungai Padi on Aug 28, 2006. A soldier was killed and five others injured in that attack.
