At least 12 people have been hurt in a series of small bomb blasts in the Thai capital, Bangkok, police say.
A series of small explosions has left two people dead and several others injured in the Thai capital, Bangkok.
The blasts took place within 90 minutes of each other, with the first one at the Victory Monument in the centre.
Seven blasts at widely-scattered places occurred within 90 minutes of one another as streets were filling up with people ahead of New Year celebrations.
Further explosions were reported at two police posts in Bangkok's northern suburbs and in the Klong Tuey area.
The authorities are now considering ordering all public New Year celebrations to be cancelled.
Thailand's prime minister was ousted in a military coup in September while the country's south has seen a wave of attacks blamed on Muslim separatists.
Police do not believe foreign groups or militants from the Muslim south are to blame, says the BBC's Jonathan Head.
Police are investigating suspicious packages found at another six locations in the capital, a police spokesman told the iTV television network.
Our Bangkok correspondent says many Thais suspect the bombs were the work of opponents of the current military government, which forced Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from office in September.
The blasts took place in widely-dispersed locations in the late afternoon, as the Thai capital was preparing to celebrate the New Year.
A bomb outside the city's Victory Monument appeared to have caused the most injuries, police said.
The bomb outside the Victory Monument appeared to have caused the most injuries, police said.
The grenade or bomb blasts went off at six other locations.
According to the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok, the explosions do not appear to have had a specific target.
Our correspondent says bombs are rare in the Thai capital and security is largely relaxed.
A police spokesman told the BBC the blasts were being treated as an internal matter - implying that they did not suspect any link to Muslim insurgents in the south.
Our correspondent says many Thais suspect the bombs were the work of opponents of the current military government, which forced Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from office.
He says bombs are rare in the Thai capital and security is largely relaxed.
