Bangkok: A blast wounded 13 people in Thailand's capital early today when assailants hurled an explosive device at market vendors who had gathered to protest a rent hike by new managers of the government-owned facility, police said.

The blast occurred in the Thai capital at around 1 am (local time) when some protesters were sleeping in makeshift tents and others had gathered outside, police Col Sutip Palitkusontap said.

Two of the protesters remained hospitalised with serious injuries, but the rest have been released, said Surachet Sathitniramai at the Narenthorn Medical Centre.

Sutip said hundreds of vendors who operate stalls at the outdoor market in Bangkok have been staging a protest since Wednesday against Legal Professional Co Ltd., the facility s new privately contracted management company.

The company denied involvement in the attack.

Two men were seen dropping a plastic bag from an overpass bridge onto the protest side at a major intersection in Klong Toey district before the blast occurred, Sutip said, citing witnesses.

"It remains unclear what kind of explosive device it was and who was behind the attack," he said. "We will step up security for protesters to prevent further attacks."

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack and no indication that the blast was related to Thailand s ongoing political strife. Protesters have been camping out for months at the Thai prime minister's office in hopes of forcing the government to resign.
Source : PTI