Eight detained over Bangkok blast

Malaysian national deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim told reporters on Wednesday that four Malaysians and four foreigners had been detained in connection with last month's bombing in Bangkok.

The suspects were arrested in Kuala Lumpur as well as in the northeastern state of Kelantan. The four foreigners are believed to be Uighurs who entered the country illegally, the official stated.

The detained Malaysian nationals were also suspected of trafficking foreigners into the country, the senior police official added, without commenting on whether these included the four foreign suspects.

The blast at the Erawan Hindu Shrine in the center of the Thai capital Bangkok on August 17 killed 20 people and injured more than 120. Since the shrine is a popular tourist destination, many of the victims were foreigners. It was the deadliest attack the city's history.

Tourism accounts for about 10 percent of Thailand's economy, although this sector was affected by the months of street protests and violence in 2014, followed by a military coup.

Earlier this month, three other people were arrested in connection with the bombing at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok. However, national deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim said the investigators did not establish any link between these suspects and the deadly attack in Thailand.

Tourism contributes more than 10 per cent to Thailand's gross domestic product. According to the Tourism Ministry there has been a noticeable drop since the Bangkok attack.

das/rg (dpa, AP)