Thailand’s national police chief, Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda, is expected to decide today (Wednesday) whether to transfer the case involving two suspects, held in police custody in connection with the bombing and arson attacks in Bangkok early this month, to the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police.

An informed police source said that the CSD had made preparations to take over the case from the metropolitan police and to accommodate the two suspects, Wildon Maha and Luai Sae-ngae from the southern province of Narathiwat, who are being detained separately at Pathumwan and Bangrak police stations, after they were flown to Bangkok from the southern province of Yala.

After their arrest, at a road checkpoint in Chumpon province as they tried to flee Bangkok back to Narathiwat in a passenger van, Wildon and Luai were sent to the police operations centre in Yala for interrogation and were detained for about two weeks before being flown to Bangkok on Tuesday.

In addition to Wildon and Luai, police believe more than ten people were involved in the spate of bombing and arson attacks which, they said, were carefully planned and executed.  Five sets of clothing were found in the backpacks of the two suspects and were to be used to make identification difficult.

The two arrested suspects were charged with criminal association, making, possessing and using explosive devices and attempted murder.

Informed police source said inquiry officers were considering the filing of terrorism charges against them.