BANGKOK, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Monday denied he had any part in a series of New Year's bombings that killed three people.
Thai police said the bombs were made of ammonium nitrate fertilizer packed into small boxes, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. The bombs were triggered by digital watches, and pieces of metal and nails were used to create shrapnel.
The current prime minister, Surayud Chulanont, suggested that Thaksin, who remains popular in rural areas in spite of being ousted in a military coup, or his supporters organized the bombings. Eight bombs exploded in Bangkok and one in the northern city of Chiang Mai.
"There has been an attempt to connect former Prime Minister Thaksin and the old political regime to the incidents," a spokesman for Thaksin said. "We absolutely deny any links between Mr. Thaksin and what happened yesterday."
A mosque in northern Thailand was bombed Monday, a day after eight large explosions shook Bangkok and canceled New Year's festivities.
