It was the difference of a few seconds that saved Cork man David Long from being at the scene of a fatal bomb explosion on Thursday at the Thai resort town of Hua Hin.
At least four people were killed and dozens wounded, including 11 foreigners, in a wave of apparently coordinated attacks across southern Thailand on Thursday and Friday.
In the upscale resort of Hua Hin, one woman was killed and about 20 were injured after two explosions.
The bombs were hidden in plant pots on a busy street in the tourist hotspot and were detonated by mobile phones, police said.
Mr Long (35) told The Irish Times that he was driving his motorbike down towards the site of an explosion just before midnight on Thursday, when he saw a crowd of terrified people running in his direction.
“I saw people running towards me and cars doing u-turns out of the blue. People looked very distressed and scared,” he said.
“I remember this policeman running down screaming at everyone to get off the street. It was chaotic. It looked like it was a staged epic movie, it was hard to believe.”
He realised the danger he was in and turned his motorbike around to get away from the blast site.
“I was one more turn away from being there; 10 to 15 seconds I would have been on that corner where the explosion happened,” he said.
Mr Long drove back to the pub and restaurant he owns, Fr Ted’s, which is a five-minute walk from the scene of the explosion.
“My bar was one of the busiest places in the town that night . . . it’s right in the heart of Hua Hin,” he said.
“When I got back to the bar I asked people would they mind leaving straight away and stay safe.”
Mr Long, originally from Douglas in Co Cork, said a woman who had recently bought a guesthouse in the area did her best to help the injured victims.
“She nursed an English woman who lost at least one foot, if not both. The injured woman was in an awful state,” he said.
“There was a big blood trail coming up the street. I saw two towels filled with blood. This is a big shock for everyone.”
Mr Long said the second explosion was outside a bar that is popular with young people and westerners.
“The poor lady at the street cart took most of the blast and she never stood a chance. It’s very sad,” he said.
Injured friends
A couple of Mr Long’s friends were injured in the blasts.
He said there had been calls for blood donations throughout the day so that the victims could undergo surgery.
“A friend of mine is injured. He has some bad damage to his eye and a broken arm - he’s in a bad way. He needs blood for another operation,” he said.
Mr Long said that when he walked through the normally vibrant beach town on Friday morning it resembled a “ghost town”.
“All restaurants and bars are closed, everything in centre of town is on lockdown,” he said.
“Today should be a day of celebrating the queen’s birthday. That’s actually completely and utterly swept aside.
“Hua Hin never experienced anything like this and there are so many westerners involved. It’s very upsetting.”
Mr Long said he first arrived in Hua Hin, which is about 200km from Bangkok, in 2003 for a holiday and kept returning.
He moved to the town almost six years ago and opened an Irish bar and restaurant.
“People in Hua Hin are good people. I have a lot of Thai friends. There’s a mixture of ex-pats living here from all places - Scandinavian, Australian, Irish, Scottish and English,” he said.
He said the town, which has a population of about 85,000 people, was originally a quiet fishing village but has grown steadily in size and population.
Hua Hin is also home to the Klai Kangwon royal palace, which translates as “Far from Worries Palace”.
“There’s always heightened security here with the royals,” Mr Long said.
Mr Long said the attacks were a “tragedy” and a “big shock” to both Thai people and ex-pats.
"I'm not going anywhere. It is my home now. There are all sorts of things happening in Europe at the moment so it's happening everywhere unfortunately."
