Thai bomb at royal adviser's home

A mounting political crisis has seen almost daily protests in Bangkok

A small bomb has exploded in the Thai capital Bangkok, near the house of an adviser to the king, police said.

The blast injured a 28-year-old British tourist, police said.

The device was hidden in a guard post at the entrance to the home of Prem Tinsulanonda, chief adviser to King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Bangkok is already tense because of a mounting political crisis, with growing calls for Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to resign.

Mr Thaksin told reporters the bomb "was the work of people with bad intentions who want to create more and more trouble amid the political crisis".

Thailand's king, who is hugely revered, has taken care to stay above the crisis.

The homemade device was triggered by a timer, according to police, who found a battery at the scene.

Police said no warning was given, and there was no indication as to who was responsible.

Initial reports said two men were hurt - the 28-year-old Briton and an older Canadian. But police said later that the Canadian was included by mistake and only the Briton was injured.

Mr Prem's house is in Bangkok's royal district, not far from the tourist area of Khao San Road, where backpackers often rent cheap accommodation.

Political tensions

The 85-year-old former general is thought to have been in his house at the time of the attack, at about 1400 (0700 GMT) on Thursday.

He is a key figure in Thai politics, serving as prime minister for eight years in the 1980s.

Defence Minister Thammarak Isarangura told Reuters news agency that Mr Prem was not too perturbed by the explosion, but "just wondered why a bomb was put in front his house".

While bomb attacks are rare in Bangkok, they are a common occurrence in the Thai south, where suspected Muslim militants are waging a small-scale insurgency.

But the capital has been the scene of increasing tension in recent weeks. Mass rallies are now held virtually every day calling for Mr Thaksin to resign.

He has come under mounting pressure in the capital, especially for his family's sale last month of its stake in Shin Corp, the company he built up before he entered politics.

Many urban Thais complained the family avoided paying tax on the sale and passed control of an important national asset to Singaporean investors.

In a bid to silence his critics he has called a snap election for 2 April, but the main opposition parties have decided to boycott the poll.

There have been a handful of bomb attacks in the capital in the last six months, though none have done serious damage.