Two suspects cleared of involvement in Thai bombing

THAI police have cleared two suspects of involvement in the bomb attack that killed 20 people in Bangkok this week.

The two men, one wearing a red T-shirt and the other in white, were pictured on security footage in front of the Erawan Shrine in the vicinity of the main suspect.

Police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri told AFP a Thai man had "met police and was released" on Thursday.

The second man was from China, he said, and had already left the country.

Authorities seemed no closer yesterday to establishing who was behind the blast.

Strangely, at the same time Thai police announced it was unlikely the incident was linked to international terrorism, authorities called on Interpol for help in tracking down a "foreign" man suspected of planting the device.

The fatal blast, and one the next day at Taksin Bridge that fortunately went off in the water, have raised fears of further attacks and the economic hardship that would bring through damage to the country's vital tourism industry.