Thaksin Shinawatra, the fugitive former prime minister, was only moments from death on Aug 24, 2006, revealed Police Lieutenant Colonel Kamthorn Auicharoen, 43, in a recent interview with Spectrum.
READY FOR THE WORST: Metropolitan Police bomb squad.
His life _ and most probably the lives of many others _ was spared because the remote control transmitter was out of range and failed to detonate the explosives in the car.
Lt Col Kamthorn is attached to the Metropolitan Police bomb squad and is regarded as one of the most experienced bomb disposal experts in Thailand. He has undergone training in Australia, Canada, China, the UK and the US. He has never been injured in the course of performing his duties.
He served from 1982 in the Royal Thai Air Force Armament Department before transferring to the Royal Thai Police (RTP) in 1993, and has worked with the bomb squad since then. He also served in southern Thailand from 2004 to 2009.
The bomb squad's headquarters are located at the Ordnance Division of the RTP in the Dusit district of Bangkok. The unit has 15 teams comprising of 50 policemen and two policewomen, under the command of Police Colonel Worachit Kanchanasena.
MADE SAFE: Defused ordnance.
One would expect that people undertaking this dangerous task would get everything they need to perform it safely under the best possible conditions. It might be so elsewhere, but definitely not so in the case of this particular bomb squad. It is quite surprising to find that those dedicated men and women who have volunteered to put their lives on the line in order to save the lives of others are squeezed into an old building with very limited working space.
This in the contrast with some other Thai law enforcement agencies _ who also do important work, but not as dangerous as the bomb squad _ whose offices are located in newer buildings with much better facilities.
According to Lt Col Kamthorn, the bomb squad also lacks personnel, personal safety equipment and bomb detection apparatus, among other things.
''Despite covering large Bangkok Metropolitan area and five nearby provinces of Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon, among 45 pieces of equipment, we have only two bomb suits, two robots, one in Yala and one in Bangkok, and four Alpha 6(correct) bomb detectors. This is not enough. We especially need more detectors. Nine bomb sniffing dogs donated by the US government, who also funded the training, is a very big help to us,'' he said.
ALL SEEING: a Bangkok bomb squad officer holding a portable unit used to X-ray suspect packages.
''Our job is not only to defuse bombs but, among other duties, to secure all function areas for the Royal Family, government officials, both Thai and foreign, as well as ordinary citizens.
''We are not the only police bomb squad in Thailand. The Border Patrol Police and the Provincial police also have their own units and so does the military.
''In Bangkok, bombs were mostly planted for political reasons, such as on New Year's Eve in 2008, when nine bombs exploded in various parts of Bangkok. Terrorists have not yet detonated bombs in Bangkok,'' Lt Col Kamthorn disclosed.
He also said that there were not any terrorist attacks in Bangkok, as there are in the South. The bombs have been used in general by criminals for political reasons and business conflicts.
''There are two kinds of bombs used in Thailand. The most common are improvised explosive devices [IEDs] which are used, for example, in Bangkok and in the South. The second are different types of military hardware such as hand grenades, mortars and ammunition. Ping-pong balls are classified as IEDs,'' Lt Col Kamthorn explained. ''An IED can be made of almost anything with any type of material or initiator. It is a 'home-made' device that is designed to cause death or injury by using either commercial or military explosives, home-made explosives, or military ordnance or components,'' he continued.
A home-made bomb.
''Of course, our job is very dangerous because, in the case of a home-made bomb, we have to identify the circuit, explosives and the whole set up. One policeman died while defusing a bomb in 1994, but normally we didn't have so many fatal accidents or serious injuries. The last such case occurred on Sept 30, 2007, when a bomb planted in a telephone booth on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue exploded while our officer was approaching it. The bomb was detonated by an alarm clock trigger, and completely severed his right hand. This is the problem, when you approach a bomb, you don't know if it will suddenly explode.
Lt Col Kamthorn said that despite his injuries, the officer is now working with the bomb squad in the South and added: ''We are also working in southern Thailand on a rotating basis, 20 days there and 10 days in Bangkok with eight to 20 officers there at any time.''
He then described what would transpire after someone calls 191 emergency police number to report a bomb: ''The 191 operator will immediately inform the bomb squad and the local police who will cordon the area, evacuate people and secure the location. Before going to the scene, we will have a short meeting to discuss the particular case and to prepare necessary equipment.
Hand grenades.
''After arriving at the scene, we will converse with the local police for more information. We will set up command post. Ambulances and fire engines will be called, depending on the situation. We will open jamming equipment to cut mobile phone signals in the area, so that no one can detonate the bomb with this methods. We will prepare our equipment and also search for a secondary device.
''We will wear a bomb suit which weighs 27kg and can protect you from up to 1.3kg of explosives. Then we will X-ray the object to identify whether the bomb is real or fake. If it is real we will use a disrupter [a stream of water] on the bomb to cut the circuit and disarm the device. If the bomb is placed in a metal case, we will cut a small hole and use the water after. This method was developed in Canada works every time.
''However, we can't always use water to disarm the bomb. It depends on the situation. For example, if there are people around, we will defuse it by hand. We have an Alpha 6, which is a small machine with an antenna, that can detect a bomb over distances of 50-200 metres, which works very well,'' Lt Col Kampthorn said.
WELL-PROTECTED: Heavy-duty bomb suit.
''We have five men on duty around the clock to attend to any emergency, and others are on standby and can be quickly mobilised if necessary. Normally three to four of our staff will arrive at the scene and then we will decide who will examine the device or defuse it if it is a real bomb.
When asked what is on his mind or what he thinks about when defusing a bomb he replied: ''I want to see what is inside the bomb, how it was assembled and what kind of circuit it has, because I want to defuse it as quickly as possible. This is what I am thinking about.
''As this job requires a lot of concentration, I must admit that sometimes I'm under a stress and worried, but we get used to it. After defusing the bomb, I will relieve the tension by having a drink with my team-mates, running or exercising.''
As for his wife, Lt Col Kampthorn said that she used to be very worried and urged him to change jobs, but after explaining to her that he really likes the job because it saves people's lives and it is a challenge, she accepted and didn't try to stop him anymore. About 70% of his men are married, and most of them went through the difficult time with their wives like him.
IN ACTION: A bomb squad officer uses a hand-held device to sweep a car for possible bombs.
''Since joining the bomb squad I've disarmed around 200 bombs and examined thousands of fake ones, whether in abandoned luggage or left to threaten people for personal or business reasons. The most difficult ones to disarm are car bombs,'' he stressed.
When asked if there were times that he couldn't defuse a bomb, he replied: ''Never. Up to now I've been able to defuse every type of bomb and all military explosives. However, there are some cases when the bomb exploded before we arrived at the scene. It takes only one minute to disarm a bomb. When you face the device, you have to do it fast, in less than a minute. A bomb is always defused by one person. I won't give an order on site as to which officer will disarm it. We talk to each other first. The person to do it must be effective and confident that he can. I won't push anyone to do it if he doesn't feel comfortable. We are like a family _ we help each other.''
Lt Col Kampthorn said that it is very easy to make remote-controlled bomb. They can use mobile phones or other devices, but I can't tell you which ones because it is a secret. To detonate a bomb, the bad guys can also use an alarm clock and lately walkie-talkies as well.
HELPING HAND: One of the squad’s robots.
He constantly studies new techniques, such as how to identify and defuse bombs. He said that methods of making bombs haven't changed over the last three-four years. They're all similar.
''Bomb makers have the knowledge and have to find the raw material, which is not easy as most of the parts are illegal to sell. Some raw materials and parts can be obtained from mines, especially in southern Thailand or smuggled from other countries.
''All bombs in Thailand are made locally, but the ones who train the bomb-makers might come from abroad or the bomber may be trained abroad,'' Lt Col Kampthorn said, obviously referring to the South, and adding ''When the problem is solved, the number of bombs will decrease, which has been the case.'' (see statistics). SIDEBAR???
He also mentioned that ping pong ball bombs are nothing new. ''Those have been around for years, used mainly by teenagers, but lately also by protesters in Bangkok. They can cause serious injuries, such as cut your hand or fingers but won't kill.
''We get many hoaxes, but we have to respond to every call and go to the location. We get about 10 calls a month for both fake and real bombs. The last one a few days ago. It was a hand grenade left on the road in Minburi. Someone might have thrown it away because they were afraid that police might search them. Most of the cases involve fake bombs.
''The government pays for insurance which is 500,000 baht for death which, I think, is very little. For injuries, the compensation is according to the injury type, but it is not much either. I'll get an extra 10,000 baht each month, others receive 7,500 baht as 'danger money','' Lt Col Kampthorn said
He appealed to public: ''If you see something suspicious that could be a bomb, don't touch it or do anything. Don't try to be a hero! It is very dangerous! Always call 191.''
The more gentle side of Bangkok's bomb squad
One of the two women attached to the bomb squad is Police Sergeant Major Saran Wannawong. She is married and has two children.
HAPPY IN HER WORK: Police Sergeant Major Jaruwan Niyahon.
"I joined the RTP in 1996, and volunteered for the bomb squad in 2007 because I thought the job would be more challenging than my previous one, which was an accounting position. It was really boring," Sgt Maj Saran said.
She worked for two years in Yala province in southern Thailand and moved to Bangkok four months ago.
"My job there was to prepare equipment for the bomb squad, to collect evidence after a bomb went off and to analyse bombs, and so on.
"Because I have less experience than others in our team, I'm not actually defusing bombs. Only someone with at least 10 years of experience can do that," Sgt Maj Saran said.
She likes her job very much because it is a challenge and it gives her a chance to travel around Thailand, where she can meet different people and learn new things.
"My husband and parents used to dislike my job.
"They worried a lot while I was working in Yala, and often asked me to do something else. I tried hard to explain to them that it's my duty and they are now more understanding."
The second woman is Police Sergeant Major Jaruwan Niyahon. She is also married, and has one child. She joined the RTP and the bomb squad in 1996.
"Really I'm here by mistake because when I sat the police examination, I selected this department without knowing it was the bomb squad. However, I'm quite happy now. I'm doing mostly administrative work - not defusing bombs - and one of my duties is to provide security for the Royal Family."
She has been working mostly in Bangkok, but also spent a year in Yala performing the same duties as her colleague, Sgt Maj Saran.
"In comparison to other members of the bomb squad my job is not dangerous at all, and frankly I wouldn't like to do anything else. My parents and husband are quite happy with what I'm doing."
Ping-pong bombs.
Bomb-making components.
Mortar shell and military explosives, above.
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