Thai PM 'overthrown in army coup'

**explorer** · September 20th, 2006 03:02 AM

from BBC News:

Thai PM 'overthrown in army coup'

A tank on the streets of Bangkok amid reports of a coup
Tanks took up positions outside Government House
A faction of the Thai military led by the army chief says it has overthrown Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Soldiers have entered the prime minister's offices in Government House and tanks have surrounded the building.

Mr Thaksin, who is at the UN in New York, has declared a state of emergency and said he had removed the army chief.

A government spokesman insisted the coup "could not succeed", and told the Reuters news agency that the government was still in control.

The spokesman said it had not been decided when the prime minister would return home from the UN.

However, in a television broadcast the leadership of the armed forces said it had taken control of Bangkok, declared a nationwide martial law and ordered all troops to return to their bases.

The so-called "Council of Political Reform" they announced is apparently loyal to sacked military commander Lt Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin and has declared its loyalty to the king.

However, the BBC's Kate McGeown in Bangkok says King Bhumibol is held in high esteem by all Thais, and the declaration of loyalty does not necessarily imply that he backs the takeover attempt.

An army-owned TV station is showing images of the royal family and songs linked in the past with military coups.

BBC World, CNN and other international news channels have been taken off the air, readers in Thailand told the BBC News website by email.

Our correspondent says low-level rumours of a possible coup have been circulating for weeks.

Political impasse

There has been pressure growing on the prime minister to resign, including from groups close to King Bhumibol, following a political impasse in which April's general election was declared invalid, says the BBC's correspondent Jonathan Head in Bangkok.

But it had been thought that Thailand was making progress towards holding another election later in the year, our correspondent says.

Witnesses said several hundred troops were posted at key points around Bangkok, including at government installations and major intersections.

Russell Miles emailed the BBC News website to say there were troops "dressed in Swat-style gear strolling around" near Government House, and "a tense, but fairly controlled atmosphere".

He said: "We saw a group of blokes bundling a cameraman and another chap into a van. We are taking photos, but not out in the open."

At the United Nations, where the annual General Assembly is under way, it was announced that the agenda had been changed to allow Mr Thaksin to address it in the coming hours.

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from inq7.net:

Thai PM office seized by forces loyal to sacked army chief

Agence France-Presse
Last updated 02:09am (Mla time) 09/20/2006

BANGKOK--(UPDATE) Forces loyal to sacked Thai military commander Lieutenant General Sonthi Boonyaratglin seized the office of the prime minister in Bangkok late Tuesday, witnesses said as tanks and heavily armed soldiers were seen in the streets of Bangkok.

Amid rumors of an apparent coup, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was quoted earlier by local televsion as saying Bangkok was now under a state of emergency, and that Sonthi would be replaced by another military commander.

"He is in charge of solving the problems while the country faces an urgent situation," Thaksin was quoted by television as saying about the new military commander from the United Nations in New York.

**swimstroke** · September 20th, 2006 03:11 AM

Hay... Gulo nanaman...

**oldblue** · September 20th, 2006 03:26 AM

so what's the effect of that? bababa or tataas presyo ng mga thailand made cars d2 sa'tin?

**explorer** · September 20th, 2006 03:45 AM

any liar/corrupt leader should expect a coup if they don't step down from their post. that's true in many countries based on history and the philippines is not an exemption from that. there will always be idealistic people in the military who would dare to lost their career/life to support the cause that would liberate their country from their corrupt leaders.

**Flagg** · September 20th, 2006 05:40 AM

Buti nga sa kanila. Walang ginawa mga buysit na yan kundi magsulot ng manufacturing jobs from the Philippines.

Sana tumagal tagal yang gulo nila para naman magka-chance tayo pabalik mga jobs.

**explorer** · September 20th, 2006 06:18 AM

Thailand is now under martial law..had thaksin gave up his post during the height of his corruption controversy...this could not have had happened. so sad....because of the selfish interest of one person to power and wealth, the whole nation suffers. oh well....

if the king of thailand gives his approval to the leaders of the coup...then that's it. thaksin is history. the king of thailand is revered by most of the people of thailand. the king may not have participated in political system of the country but he has the support of the majority of the people.

**explorer** · September 20th, 2006 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by flagg

Buti nga sa kanila. Walang ginawa mga buysit na yan kundi magsulot ng manufacturing jobs from the Philippines.

Sana tumagal tagal yang gulo nila para naman magka-chance tayo pabalik mga jobs.

would you want the Americans and the Europeans tell us filipinos the same thing every time we have our political turmoil because they lost many jobs and we got them specially for the call center industry?