Bangkok: A car bomb has exploded at a shopping mall on the popular resort island of Samui, injuring about seven people on the eve of Thailand's new year holidays.
The island's disaster prevention chief Poonsak Sophonpathumrak told journalists the bomb was hidden in a Honda believed to have been stolen from one of three southern Thai provinces where an ethnic insurgency has killed more than 6000 people, many of them civilians, over the past decade.
Islamic militants seeking a level of autonomy in the provinces bordering Malaysia have not previously targeted civilians in Thailand's tourist areas.
If the bomb is proven to be linked to the insurgency it would send alarm bells ringing through Thailand's security agencies only days after junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha gave himself the powers of a dictator.
The bomb went off in the basement of the Central Festival shopping mall after a fashion show at 11.30pm Friday.
The force of the blast left debris scattered over a wide area, leaving the vehicle's mangled engine block and undercarriage.
Local Surat Thani governor Chatpong Chatput said a fire that occurred at a warehouse at the same time at the Sahakorn Coop food centre in Surat Thani may have been caused by explosives.
Authorities said those bombs were meant to destabilise the military regime that ousted Thailand's democratically-elected government last year after months of street protests and sporadic violence.
Koh Samui is a popular destination for Australian tourists with hotels and other accommodation almost fully booked at this time of the year for the Songhran new year holiday and water festival.
The blast comes at a time when Thailand's tourist arrivals appeared to be picking-up after the imposition of martial law that was lifted earlier this month.
Mr Prayuth, a former army general, retains extensive powers he insists are needed to deal with any security threat or emergency under Article 44 of a new constitution.
Article 44 allows Mr Prayuth to issue executive orders to "disrupt or suppress" threats to national security or the monarchy and allows soldiers to apprehend people, if an incident occurs, without an arrest warrant. It has been heavily criticised by human rights groups.
The Thai military government - officially known as the National Council for Peace and Order - has promised to restore democracy and hold elections but has not said when it will give-up power but has repeatedly cracked down on dissent, detaining critics and censoring the media.
