BANGKOK, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Bangkok municipal government announced Sunday evening that all events related to the New Year countdown celebrations were canceled, while almost of the major department stores in Bangkok shut down by 8:00 p.m. local time after a series of bombings hit the capital.

    The bombings took place almost simultaneously in various crowded sites in Bangkok, killing at least three persons and injuring more than 30 others, police sources told Xinhua.

    Local media reported that there had been at least six bombings, while police sources said that there were a total of 15 bombs that had been triggered.

    The attacks came at a time when tourists and residents in Bangkok packed business districts to enjoy the New Year's Eve holiday. Several New Year countdown events had been planned in some shopping centers, expected to attract thousands of hundreds of attendants.

    Department stores in downtown Bangkok, including Siam Paragon, Emporium, Central plazas all closed after the bombings. They usually stay open until midnight on New Year's Eve.

    Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont was quoted by local media as asking people wishing to join New Year parties to avoid crowded areas.

    The premier has ordered security officers, including police and army soldiers, to reinforce in many places in Bangkok. He also ordered crime scene inspectors to collect evidences from the attack scenes in order to know who are behind the attacks, the reports said.

    According to police sources and local media reports, one bomb exploded around 18:30 local time Sunday on the Sukhumvit Road in downtown Bangkok, injuring several passers-by and damaging a few vehicles nearby.

    Another bombing was reported nearly the same time at the Klong Toey market. The bomb was reportedly hidden in a trash can near a Chinese shrine and wounded two passers-by, while leading to the explosion of a number of gas cylinders for cooking nearby.

    A powerful bomb went off at a bus station near the landmark Victory Monument. Local media reported that one person was killed on the spot.

    At the Seacon Square Shopping Mall, one of the biggest in Asia, a explosion hit the parking area, causing a panic but no injuries.