Police have launched an investigation after a live grenade was discovered outside a bank in Bangkok’s Bang Khun Non district on Monday morning, prompting a swift response from bomb disposal specialists.
Officers from Bang Khun Non Police Station and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units were dispatched to the scene at approximately 7.30am after receiving reports of a suspicious object near the roadside.
Upon arrival, authorities found an MK 2 grenade mixed among piles of rubbish beside the road. The area was immediately cordoned off as a precaution while EOD personnel carried out procedures to safely neutralise and remove the explosive device.
The operation was successfully completed at around 9am without incident.
According to local reports, rubbish collection workers made the alarming discovery while sorting waste at the location. After taking a closer look, they suspected the object was a grenade and promptly alerted the authorities.
A security guard working at the nearby bank said the area is commonly used as a temporary collection point where rubbish is gathered before daily waste collection takes place.
The guard told reporters that police had already secured the area by the time he arrived for work, preventing members of the public from approaching the scene.
Investigators are now reviewing footage from nearby security cameras in an effort to identify the individual responsible for abandoning the grenade.
Police believe the explosive may have been discarded by someone attempting to avoid legal consequences associated with possessing such a device.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about public safety, particularly in busy urban areas where abandoned explosives could pose a serious threat to residents and passers-by.
The discovery follows several similar cases reported across Thailand in recent years.
Last year, authorities in Phuket arrested six suspects after explosive devices were found at multiple locations, including Phuket International Airport, Promthep Cape, Patong Beach and Surin Beach.
The Royal Thai Army later stated that the operation was intended to create fear and panic among residents and tourists rather than cause casualties.
In a separate incident, several explosive devices were also discovered among roadside rubbish in Hua Hin’s Hin Lek Fai subdistrict, prompting another police investigation.
Authorities have yet to reveal the outcome of that probe.
Police are continuing their investigation into the latest Bangkok incident and have urged anyone with information to come forward.
