AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK

An explosive device was hurled into a group of protesting vendors in front of Klong Toey market early yesterday, wounding 15 vendors, two seriously. 

The attack took place about 1.30am at a tent set up at the Ratchada-Rama IV intersection near the market. 

Vendors have manned a roadblock there since Wednesday in protest against a market development plan by a new developer. 

Police are still checking to discover what type of device it was.

Witnesses said a motorcycle rider threw a plastic bag containing the explosive from a flyover bridge into the protesters as they were listening to a speech. 

Fifteen vendors were wounded, two seriously. 

Penthiwawan Kaewsuk, 37, sustained wounds to her head, while Yakob Lormoh, 51, received wounds to several parts of his body. The blast caused chaos at the protest venue. 

Sujittra Damrongsiriwut, 52, one of the protesters, said about 1,000 vendors had received constant threats by a group of men. She asked why police had not strengthened security for vendors. 

Protesters are unhappy with a company which has won a contract to manage a market area leased from the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT).