By Kanathid Srihirandej

Metropolitan Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of one of four suspects sought for a bomb at Klong Toei market early yesterday which injured six people, two of them severely.

After the explosion, police got video footage of a group of teenagers wearing black t-shirts who ran to get away on black motorcycles, Pol Lt-Gen Santhan Chayanont, commander of the Metropolitan Police, said.

"We have already collected all evidence and spoken to witnesses. Now we can issue a warrant to arrest a man suspected of being involving in the bombing," he said after a two-hour meeting with police.

About 100 officers would be stationed at Klong Toei market to control the situation, Santhan added.

He said the bomb was part of a conflict between vendors who oppose the new concessionaire, Legal Professional Co, which won the right to run the market from the Port Authority of Thailand, and vendors who have deals with the firm.

Legal Professional chairman Thammanas Promphao said at a press conference yesterday the bomb may have been caused by rival vendors.

He explained that a noodle soup seller, Janjira Na Nakhon, and other two people, who were members of Credit Union Cooperative 79 Ltd, previously signed contracts for Klong Toei market 2.

They had previously lodged a complaint at the Cooperative Promotion Office area 2 about lack of transparency at Credit Union Cooperative 79 Ltd's administration, he said. Members of Credit Union Cooperative 79 Ltd had never received a bonus in more than 20 years, he alleged.

Thammanas said Janjira's sister Wanida Na Nakhon also had a contract with the company and was waiting for the current vendor to move out from a stand at the market but the other vendor had not moved and they had been fighting for two weeks.

Wanida and Janjira were leaders of a group of vendors who made contracts with the Legal Professional and they had been threatened in recent weeks prior to the bomb yesterday.

This article was first published in The Nation/Asia News Network.