More than a decade after the deadly Erawan Shrine bombing in central Bangkok, the South Bangkok Criminal Court is due to deliver its verdict today in one of Thailand’s longest-running criminal cases.
The ruling, scheduled for 9am on June 11, comes in the case against Bilal Mohammed, also known as Adem Karadag, and Yusufu Mieraili, whose trial has now entered its 11th year.
Proceedings have involved more than 400 prosecution witnesses, more than 45 defence witnesses, tens of thousands of pages of evidence and repeated delays.
The attack took place at about 6:55pm on August 17, 2015, when a bomb exploded at the Erawan Shrine near Ratchaprasong intersection, one of Bangkok’s busiest shopping and tourist districts.
Twenty people, including Thai nationals and foreign visitors, were killed in the blast, while more than 160 others were injured.
Police accused Karadag of leaving a backpack containing the explosive device at the shrine before walking away.
Yusufu was alleged to have helped assemble the bomb, source equipment and assist in delivering the device. Both men were later taken to the scene for a police re-enactment before authorities formally announced the case in September 2015.
The case was significantly delayed by its initial route through the military court system. Because the bombing happened during the National Council for Peace and Order era, it was first handled by the Bangkok Military Court under rules covering offences involving weapons and explosives.
After civilian cases were later removed from military court jurisdiction, the trial was transferred to the South Bangkok Criminal Court. The move meant witness examination had to begin again in the civilian court system.
Proceedings were disrupted further during the Covid-19 pandemic, when court hearings across Thailand were affected by public health restrictions and delays.
Interpretation issues also slowed the trial. The defendants speak Uyghur, requiring translation between Uyghur, English and Thai.
Problems with interpreters had affected the case from its early stages, including in 2016, when a military court rejected one proposed interpreter and another was unable to communicate properly with the defendants in Uyghur.
The scale of the case added to the delays, with hundreds of witnesses, extensive documentary evidence and physical exhibits presented during the trial.
Between 2023 and 2026, the South Bangkok Criminal Court moved to speed up the examination of remaining prosecution and defence witnesses, allowing the case to finally reach the verdict stage today.
Authorities had also issued arrest warrants for several other alleged members of the network linked to the bombing.
One Thai woman, Wanna Suansan, who had been accused of renting accommodation for suspects, was acquitted by the South Bangkok Criminal Court in November 2024 after judges found the evidence against her insufficient. She was among only three people apprehended out of 17 suspects named by authorities.
