Bangkok bomb: British student Vivian Chan among victims of blast at Erawan Shrine

Total death toll so far is 20 with 123 injured

A Thai soldier in front of the shrine on Tuesday (EPA)

A female British national has been killed in a bomb attack on a Bangkok shrine in Thailand.

British Foreign Office secretary Philip Hammond has confirmed that a woman, who is thought to be Vivian Chan Wing-yan, was among the nine foreign nationals killed in a bomb attack on the Hindu Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok on Monday evening.

Chan, who is 19 and a law student, is thought to have been killed while visiting the shrine with a friend, Arcadia Pang Wan-Chee, 24.

Vivian Chan (Facebook)

Ms Wing Yan was previously a student at the School of Oriental Studies (part of the University of London) before she transferred in May of this year to take up law at BPP University's Waterloo campus.

British embassy staff in Thailand are assisting the woman's family, Mr Hammond confirmed in a statement.

“My thoughts are with the victims, their families and loved ones, and with the Thai people," he added.

On a Facebook page, friends paid tribute to the “cheerful” girl who had been an “excellent student.”

“You were such a cheerful person and had one of the greatest smiles that I have seen,” Sophie Hui wrote in tribute to her friend on Tuesday.

“You're cheerful and kind, always there to make us laugh. Thanks for all the good memories and for being a good friend,” Jeff Lok also wrote on the page.

Vivian Chan, among the Bangkok victims, was a law student (Vivian Chan, via Facebook)

(Vivian Chan, via Facebook)

Another friend, at school with her at Harrow International in Hong Kong, wrote: “You never stopped smiling and always had a smiling face. I will cherish the days talking to you and especially in orchestra.”

“She was a really kind and cheerful person in general – she really loved to travel around and just go to a lot of different, good restaurants,” Harrow International school friend Michelle Lou told the South China Morning Post.

A spokesperson for BPP university told The Independent: "Everyone at BPP University is devastated to hear of the loss of one of our students, Vivian Chan Wing Yan, in Bangkok yesterday. Our thoughts are with Vivian's family and we will work to support them in any way we can.”

Ms Chan is among the nine foreign nationals killed when the bomb detonated at around 7pm (local time). The attack has so far killed 20 people and injured at least 123 who are being treated in the Thai capital’s hospitals.

Thai authorities have released CCTV stills of a man wanted in connection with the attack, labelled by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha as the “worst” to ever strike the capital.

The stills, along with leaked CCTV footage, appear to show a young man – wearing a yellow t-shirt and heavy glasses – approach the popular shrine and deposit a black rucksack on a bench. The footage captures him walking away until he disappears into the crowd.

Information surrounding the unidentified man remains scarce. However, a BBC reporter claims that a government spokesperson has confirmed the suspect is not believed to be a Thai national.