Bangkok bomb blast a reminder of Thailand's fragile political situation

BANGKOK had been relatively calm since a military coup in May last year, but the Thai capital was once again rocked by senseless violence on Monday night. During the busy evening peak hour, a bomb blast in the commercial heart of the city killed at least 22 people, including a 34-year-old Singaporean woman, and injured more than 120 others.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha described the bombing of a popular religious shrine as the "worst ever attack" in the country, while scores of other nations were quick to express their strong condemnation of the blatant act of terror. A day later, on Tuesday, an explosive device - likely to be a grenade - was thrown from a ferry pier in Bangkok but caused no injuries.

The incidents have revived memories of Bangkok's troubled past, and are likely to have a negative impact on Thailand's important tourism sector, which has been one of the few recent bright spots for Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.