Bomb Explodes Outside Popular Bangkok Shrine

An explosion today at a popular shrine in central Bangkok has reportedly killed more than a dozen people. The blast was detonated at a busy downtown intersection where political demonstrations have taken place in recent years. The Erawan Shrine, a tourist landmark that is also popular with Bangkok’s residents, sits at that intersection, as does a five-star hotel.

Bangkok has been relatively peaceful for the past year, since a military coup ousted the country’s civilian government last May. Car bombs, which have been used in southern Thailand by a Muslim separatist insurgency, are nonetheless rare in Bangkok. From Chiang Rai, Thailand, NPR reporter Michael Sullivan joins Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson to discuss the bombing.

Guest

• Michael Sullivan, reports for NPR from Thailand. His blog is Mouth of the Mekong. He blogs @MSullivanSEAsia.

Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.