At least 16 people were killed in a bomb blast in a commercial area in the Thailand capital on Monday evening, while several others were injured, local media reported.
The blast took place near an Erawan Hindu shrine in the popular tourist destination of Ratchaprasong in Bangkok.
Thailand's police chief reportedly said that a pipe bomb was placed inside the Hindu temple.
Another bomb was neutralized in the area, according to reports.
"The perpetrators intended to destroy the economy and tourism, because the incident occurred in the heart of the tourism district," Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told Reuters.
The moments when the bomb went off were caught on a CCTV camera. The CCTV footage shows the blast occurred just five minutes before 7 pm local time.
At least three foreign tourists were among those killed in the Bangkok blast on Monday, with police identifying two from China and one from Philippines.
