19 September On the evening of 19 September 2006, the Thai military and police overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra. At the time, the premier was in New York City at a meeting of the
United Nations General Assembly. • At 18:30, Royal Thai Army Special Forces units moved from
Lopburi Province to Bangkok. At the same time,
Prem Tinsulanonda, key person of
military-monarchy nexus, Privy Council President, had an audience with King
Bhumibol Adulyadej, reportedly concerning a merit-making ceremony for
Bua Kitiyakara, the King's mother-in-law. • By 21:00, the special forces units arrived in Bangkok. • Around 21:30, Army-owned television broadcaster
Channel 5 ceased scheduled programming and aired songs authored by the king. By this time, rumours started spreading that the military had arrested deputy prime minister in charge of national security
Chitchai Wannasathit and Defence Minister
Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya, and that Thaksin's son had left the country. National radio, terrestrial TV, cable TV, and some satellite broadcasters were taken off air shortly after. • At 21:40, police
commandos arrived at the residence of Thaksin. Army tanks soon took position throughout Bangkok. • At 22:20, Thaksin declared a state of emergency by telephone from New York. He transferred General
Sonthi Boonyaratglin from his post as army commander to a position in the Prime Minister's Office and appointed Supreme Commander General
Ruangroj Mahasaranon to take control of the crisis. His declaration, broadcast on television, was cut immediately afterwards. • At 23:00
Thawinan Khongkran,
Miss Asia 1987 and head of public relations for army-owned television station Channel 5,
announced on TV that military and police units had Bangkok and the surrounding areas under control: The
junta, initially called the
Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM), later took the name of
Council for Democratic Reform to rule out suspicions about the role of the monarchy. • At 23:50, the CDR issued a second statement explaining the reasons for the coup d'état and wished "to reaffirm that it has no intention to become the administrators of the country." The council promised to retain the king as
head of state and to return administrative power to the Thai people "as quickly as possible." Foreign news channels, such as
BBC World,
CNN,
CNBC, and
Bloomberg Television, were reported to have been taken off air, although foreign broadcasters were still able to broadcast from Bangkok. Telecommunications networks (telephone and the Internet) were operational. The army declared
martial law nationwide, ordered all soldiers to report to their barracks and banned troop movements unauthorised by the CDR. Television footage showed heavily armed troops in
M113 armored personnel carriers and
M998 HMMWV vehicles on the streets of the city. Many soldiers and military vehicles wore strips of yellow cloth as a symbol of loyalty to the king, whose royal color is yellow. Junta commander Sonthi confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai and Defence Minister Thammarak had been arrested. High-ranked civil servants were ordered to report to the council while governmental offices and banks would be closed on 20 September. A few hours after news of the coup broke,
BBC News reported that the leader of the coup would be meeting with the king later in the day, although it was unclear at that time what King Bhumibol's position on the coup was.
20 September '', 20 September 2006 • By 00:39 a third statement suspended the
constitution and dissolved the cabinet, both houses of
parliament, and the
constitutional court. • At 01:30 (20:30 UTC) on 20 September it was announced that Thaksin had cancelled his speech at the United Nations. He watched his overthrow on television from a hotel in New York. Tom Kruesopon, a TRT member and an adviser to Thaksin, said the premier "has not given up his power. He is not seeking asylum." • At 09:16 General Sonthi announced in a television conference that the military had needed to seize power in order to unite the nation after months of political turmoil: in the streets of Bangkok on the day after the coup. Shortly after this announcement, Thai TV programmes resumed whilst cable TV partly resumed. However, main foreign news channels (CNN, BBC, CNBC, NHK and Bloomberg) remained blacked out. • At 12:14 Coup authorities demanded the cooperation of mass media, and later asked the Information and Communications Technology ministry (ICT) to control the distribution of all media information deemed harmful to the provisional military council. • By 14:50, the
1997 constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand (also known as the "People's Constitution") was removed from the website of the
National Assembly of Thailand. The country's northern border with
Laos and
Myanmar was closed for a couple of days. In an interview given before leaving New York for London with Deputy Prime Minister
Surakiart Sathirathai, spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, and his personal assistant Padung Limcharoenrat, Thaksin Shinawatra said: Thaksin was escorted to his home in
Kensington where he joined his daughter Pinthongta, who is studying in London. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that Thaksin's trip was a private visit. • At 15:35, junta leader Sonthi announced that the military had no plans to seize Thaksin's personal assets or seize shares of
Shin Corporation back from
Temasek Holdings. Early in 2006, Thaksin sold his family's shares in Shin Corporation to Temasek. • At 20:17 General Sonthi announced in a television statement that
King Bhumibol Adulyadej had endorsed him as the head of the interim governing council. He also promised to restore democracy in a year's time. Contradicting earlier announcements, the CDR issued a 13th statement maintaining the status of the newly selected Election Commission and adding that the EC ACT would organize the election of local administrations and councils. The CDR then issued its seventh order dividing responsibilities into four divisions as part of responsibility sharing. The four divisions were the CDR, the secretariat, the advisory division, and the special affairs division.
21 September ) parked inside the compound of the Headquarters of the 1st Army The files and papers related to the investigation of the alleged car bomb plot against Thaksin (24 August 2006) vanished from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) on the night of 19 September. Police loyal to deputy police chief General Priewphan Damapong (brother of Thaksin's wife Khunying
Potjaman) were also seen loading assault weapons from the CSD in vehicles that went off to an unknown destination. In the afternoon, Sonthi summoned media executives to army headquarters to tell them to stop carrying expression of public opinion following the military takeover. The move came after the military imposed strict controls on the media and said they would block information deemed harmful to the provisional military council now in control of Thailand. The army official said the normal television programming will be resumed but the council would begin making its own televised announcements every two hours starting from 11:00 am (04:00 GMT). RTA Troops and tanks began reducing their presence at key government facilities. Four tanks remained at Government House in the early morning, down from 10 the previous day, and fewer armed soldiers were on guard. Sonthi ordered two more top aides of Thaksin, namely
Newin Chidchob, the minister attached to the premier's office, and
Yongyuth Tiyapairat, minister of natural resources and environment, to report to the military, one day after detaining his senior deputy. Ousted deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak arrived at the
Don Mueang International Airport returning from France. The chartered Thai Airways jet that took Thaksin to New York and later to London returned to the Don Mueang Military Airport after being diverted from Bangkok's commercial airport. On board the plane were some 20 members of the press corps and low-ranking officials who had travelled with him. Ten heavily armed commandos immediately surrounded the plane and conducted an inspection. All were released after their passports were stamped. Thaksin called for new snap elections in his homeland and confirmed he is bowing out of politics, urging "national reconciliation" after the coup in Bangkok. In a statement issued in London, Thaksin said he will devote himself to development and possibly charity work.
Timing of the coup Columnist Thanong Khanthong of
The Nation claimed that General Sonthi acted to prevent an imminent military coup by Thaksin. The columnist contended that Thaksin intended to use the political rally planned by the
People's Alliance for Democracy at the Royal Plaza on 20 September to trigger violence and then declare a state of emergency and place the country under martial law. General Sonthi would have learned from an intelligence report that Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Newin Chidchob were planning to organise a counter protest with the support of the
Forestry Police ("Hunter Soldiers" or Rangers) armed with
HK33 rifles and acted before the bloodshed was set to take place. On Friday, the Rangers were in the process of being disarmed. Both Newin and Yongyuth were later detained, the latter being accused of mobilizing the Forestry Police. Coup-planner
Prasong Soonsiri later denied that Thaksin planned his own coup. This contradicted earlier public statements where he denied that the military would stage a coup.
The Nation noted that the timing of the coup contains many instances of the number nine, a highly auspicious number in Thai
numerology. The coup occurred at the 19th day of the 9th month of
Buddhist Era 2549. Sonthi made a major public announcement on the morning after the coup at 9.39 am.
The Nation earlier indicated 09:16 as the time for Sonthi's press conference and the
Buddhist calendar is in line with the
Gregorian calendar only since 1941.
Coup financing The junta was accused of paying Army officers 1.5 billion
baht in order to participate in the coup. Junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratkalin stopped short of denying that the military spent money from a secret fund, saying "We certainly needed money for our people's food and other necessary expenses."
Causes of the coup Many causes of the coup were identified, both by the junta as well as by independent observers. Initial reasons stated by the junta were the Thaksin government's alleged creation of an "unprecedented rift in society", corruption, nepotism, interference in independent agencies, and insults to the King. Later reasons stated by junta leaders included Thaksin's alleged vote buying, plans to provoke violence, and weakening of the military. Two months after the coup, the junta issued a
white paper identifying many reasons for the coup, including corruption, abuse of power, lack of integrity, interference in the checks and balances system, human rights violations, and destroying the unity of the people. Independent analysts identified widely differing reasons for the coup.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak of
Chulalongkorn University alleged that the coup was due to conflicts between Thaksin and King
Bhumibol Adulyadej. Biographer
Paul Handley noted that "[the coup masterminds] did not want Thaksin in a position to exert influence on the passing of the Chakri Dynasty mantle to Crown Prince
Vajiralongkorn." Giles Ungpakorn of
Chulalongkorn University claimed that the coup was due to class conflicts between the rural poor (who supported Thaksin) and the urban elite (who supported the junta).
Photo-timeline of the coup, from dusk to dawn The scene changed every hour as the coup progressed. Here is how it unfolded after the first tanks rolled in according to the observations of Manik Sethisuwan. Manik was one of a few citizens who was forced to spend the night on the street as his car had run out of gas. According to government laws as of September 2006, it was mandatory for all gas and petrol stations in the city to close-down from 22:00–05:00 as a cost-saving measure. Hence he was forced to seek refuge near the international press personnel until it was possible for him to move out, as a result of which he was able to capture most of the event as it unfolded. Image:Coup-d'etat-2-web-cnni.jpg|As the tanks (including this M41 Walker Bulldog) rolled in, a slight out-of-season drizzle poured over the city. Image:Coup-d'etat-3-web-cnni.jpg|News media from around the world gathered at Government House. Pictured here is the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Image:Coup-d'etat-5-web-cnni.jpg|
CNN Reporter Dan Rivers prepares his news report. However, the feeds within the country itself were blocked off, as well as most internet service providers. Image:Coup-d'etat-6-web-cnni.jpg|A M41 Walker Bulldog light tank parked in the centre of Rajadamnern Avenue, in front of the Parliament House. Image:Coup-d'etat-9-web-cnni.jpg|A sign in Thai which reads "Special Operation in Progress – Traffic Temporarily Suspended". Image:Coup-d'etat-11-web-cnni.jpg|The colour of the day, yellow ribbons on machine guns of a M41 Walker Bulldog. Yellow is the color of the King. Image:Coup-d'etat-15-web-cnni.jpg|A speeding motorcade of cars. The military leaders on their way from the royal palace as the military police look on. Image:Coup-d'etat-17.jpg|A street worker viewing M41 Walker Bulldog light tanks, not sure what to make of it. Image:Coup-d'etat-14-web-cnni.jpg|The first signs of support. A teenager hands a rose to a soldier at a M41 Walker Bulldog light tank. Image:Coup-d'etat-24-web-cnni.jpg| Seen here is a Humvee utility vehicle with several soldiers.
Thailand's political situation Thailand's deposed government Outside Thailand After the coup, Thaksin flew from New York to London, where his daughter was a student. He was later joined by his family. General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said earlier that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra could return to the country, but warned he could face criminal charges. "Any prosecution would proceed under the law, and would depend on the evidence," Sonthi said. However,
Privy Councilor and interim prime minister General
Surayud Chulanont later warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat." "Myself and several other people understand that supporters and opponents will clash on the day that Thaksin returns home. It would be a big commotion," he said. Deputy Premier
Surakiart Sathirathai was with Thaksin attending the UN General Assembly in New York when the military staged a coup on Tuesday against the prime minister. Surakiart was, at the time, in the hotly contested race to succeed UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan, a Thai official said. "The (new) Thai authorities have reaffirmed their support for Dr Surakiart's candidature for the UNSG," Thai ambassador to the United States Virasakdi Futrakul told AFP. "There's no change. He's still in the race." The former deputy premier had left for Bangkok after the junta took power. Finance Minister
Thanong Bidaya remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of the
World Bank/
IMF. Commerce Minister
Somkid Jatusripitak remained in
Paris, but returned to Bangkok on Thursday. Foreign Minister
Kantathi Suphamongkhon flew from Paris, where he was attending the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition presided over by Princess
Sirindhorn, to Germany, before returning to Bangkok. Agriculture Minister
Sudarat Keyuraphan was reported to have fled to Paris with her family.
Thai Rak Thai party executive and former Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana left the country for Germany. Defence Minister
Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya's whereabouts were unknown. Former Secretary-General to the Premier
Prommin Lertsuridej and Labor Ministry Permanent Secretary Somchai Wongsawat (who is Thaksin's brother-in-law) were also placed under arrest on the second floor of the army command building. Troops raided Yongyuth's houses in
Mae Chan District of
Chiang Rai Province (at 10:35 Wednesday) and Bangkok (Wednesday night), but did not find him. Both Yongyuth and Newin reported to army headquarters on Thursday, and were detained. Chidchai Wannasathit, Newin Chidchop, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, and Prommin Lertsuridet were freed after the interim charter was promulgated. The status of Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya was unknown.
In Thailand Several party executives including
Chaturon Chaisang, Phumtham Wechayachai and Suranand Vejjajiva were reported to still be in Thailand and not arrested by the junta. TRT MP
Veera Musikapong was also at liberty. Party Deputy and Industry Minister
Suriya Jungrungreangkit and former Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook were reported to be staying in the country at an unidentified location.
Civil servants, government agencies and family The junta initiated the removal from the civil service of people appointed by the Thaksin government as well as his former classmates at the
Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School. Several military officers were transferred to inactive posts. Also removed were 18 senior police officers which the junta claimed could pose a threat to national security if they were to remain in their current posts. In early February, Police Commissioner-General Kowit Wattana himself was ousted for investigating military involvement in the
2007 Bangkok bombings. The purge was completed in the junta's mid-year military reshuffle in April 2007, when all senior officers perceived as loyal to the Thaksin government were removed and replaced with officers trusted by the new regime. The junta affirmed on 20 September that along with the abolition of the constitution, the
constitutional court, and other independent organisations set up under the abrogated charter were automatically abolished. However, the status of Auditor-General
Jaruvan Maintaka was maintained by an order of the junta. The same order dissolved the State Audit Commission. She appeared when summoned along with senior government officials by the junta. Surasit Sangkhapong, director of the Government Lottery Office and an aide of Thaksin resigned to allow Auditor-General
Jaruvan Maintaka to conduct an investigation into an allegation of irregularity. Colonel Priewphan Damapong, Deputy Police Commissioner-General and brother-in-law of Thaksin, reported to the national police chief in line with the junta's orders. Thaksin's wife and son, initially reported as having left Thailand for Singapore ahead of the declaration of martial law, were later reported in Thailand. It was suggested they remained to look after the family's finances.
Council for Democratic Reform The junta ruled with a series of announcements. An early announcement asked the media to call it by its full name, the Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM), rather than just the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR). The junta said that the public might be misled if it was not understood that the junta was working "under the Constitutional Monarchy". Later, the junta formally shortened its English name (but not its Thai name) to Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) in order to avoid any suspicions about the role of the monarchy in the coup. • Army Commander General
Sonthi Boonyaratglin, named Chief of the Council for Democratic Reform • Navy Commander Admiral
Sathiraphan Keyanon, named first deputy chief of CDR • Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal
Chalit Pookpasuk, named second deputy chief of CDR • Police Commissioner-General Police General
Kowit Wattana, named third deputy chief of CDR • National Security Council Secretary-General General Winai Phatthiyakul, named Secretary-General of the CDR • Supreme Commander General
Ruangroj Mahasaranon, named Chief Adviser to the CDR On 20 September 2006, the junta denied that it had appointed a prime minister, and noted that Sonthi had the powers of a Premier. A week after the coup, Sonthi's former classmate General Boonsrang Naimpradit was promoted from Deputy Supreme Commander to the post of Supreme Commander, replacing
Ruangroj Mahasaranon. Junta Secretary General Winai Phattiyakul, was promoted to the post of Permanent Secretary for Defence. Sonthi also promoted his classmates and lieutenants in the coup, 1st Army Region Commander Lt-Gen
Anupong Paochinda and 3rd Army Region Commander Lt-Gen
Saprang Kalayanamitr, to the post of Assistant Army Commander. Sonthi told Reuters:"I can assure you it is impossible that we will control the government. [...] We will be the government's tool to keep peace." In its 16th announcement, the CDR gave itself the role of parliament. On 22 September, the junta gave Police General
Kowit Wattana absolute power over all police matters and named him chair of a new National Police Commission to rewrite the 2004 National Police Bill.
Appointment of advisory committee The junta ordered 58 prominent civilians to serve as its advisers. However, most of the appointees denied any knowledge of the appointments, with several saying they couldn't serve. "I have said that the coup is wrong, how can I serve as its advisory board?" asked Chaiwat Satha-anand of the Faculty of Political Science of
Chulalongkorn University.
Pratheep Ungsongtham Hata, who was appointed to the reconciliation panel, also boycotted the CDR's advisory board, noting that as a democracy advocate, she could not work with the CDR, which took power by unconstitutional means.
Pibhob Dhongchai, a leader of the defunct anti-Thaksin
People's Alliance for Democracy, said he could not participate in the reconciliation panel because he was a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council, and already had a channel to advise the government.
Pasuk Pongpaichit, an anti-Thaksin economist who had also been appointed, denied that she would serve as an advisor, using as her excuse an impending extended trip to Japan. However, some appointees welcomed their appointments, like
Nakarin Mektrairat and Thawee Suraritthikul, the deans of the Faculty of Political Science of Thammasat and Sukhothai Thammathirat University, respectively. When asked by the press why the junta had not informed the appointees of their appointments, the CDR spokesman Lt-Gen Palangoon Klaharn said: "It is not necessary. Some matters are urgent. It is an honour to help the country. I believe that those who have been named will not reject the appointment because we haven't damaged their reputation."
Investigation of the deposed government The junta established a committee empowered to investigate any projects or acts by members of the Thaksin government and others who were suspected of any irregularities, including personal tax evasion. The committee, chaired by
Nam Yimyaem, had the authority to freeze the assets of members and families of the Thaksin government accused of corruption and was composed of several figures who had been publicly critical of the Thaksin government, including Kaewsan Atibhoti,
Jaruvan Maintaka,
Banjerd Singkaneti, Klanarong Chantik, and Sak Korsaengruang. A separate decree (No. 31) gave the NCCC the authority to freeze the assets of politicians who failed to report their financial status by a deadline or intentionally reported false information. Another decree (No. 27) increased the penalty for political party executives whose parties had been ordered dissolved, from simply banning them from forming or becoming executives of a new party, to stripping them of their electoral rights for five years.
Interim constitution A draft interim constitution was released on 27 September 2006, and received mixed reactions. Structurally, the draft was similar to the
1991 Constitution, the
1976 Constitution, and the
1959 Charter, in that it allows an extremely powerful executive branch to appoint the entire legislature. The CDR, which would be transformed into a
Council for National Security (CNS), would appoint the head of the executive branch, the entire legislature, and the drafters of a permanent constitution.
Thailand's future government Sonthi told foreign diplomats that a civilian government and prime minister would be appointed to run the country within two weeks. The constitution would be amended for a rapid return to democracy through a national election in a year's time. This would imply that the
October 2006 elections will not take place as scheduled. Sonthi confirmed a previous statement saying that Thaksin and the members of his cabinet have done no wrong and can return to Thailand. However,
Privy Councilor and top contender of appointment as interim prime minister General
Surayud Chulanont warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return a "threat." Many civilians were rumored to have been short-listed for appointment to figurehead prime minister. These included General Surayud Chulanont (
Privy Councilor to King
Bhumibol Adulyadej), Akharathorn Chularat, (Chief Justice of the Supreme Administrative Court), and
Pridiyathorn Devakula, (Governor of the
Bank of Thailand), and
Supachai Panitchpakdi (Secretary-General of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development). On 26 September 2006, Sonthi said that the junta would remain in place after the appointment of a civilian government, noting "It's necessary to keep the council so that there is no loophole for the executive branch." Following the appointment of a new interim civilian government, the junta would be transformed into a permanent "Council of National Security". It will dissolve itself once the general election is held a year later. As of 2004 Internet users made up less than 12 percent of the population nationwide, and 26 percent in the Bangkok area. The junta imposed and maintained censorship on television from the first day of the coup onwards. However, no newspaper publications were suppressed and censorship of the Internet did not start until several days after the coup.
Restrictions on broadcasting and the press The CDR demanded the cooperation of the Thai mass media and authorised the censorship of news reports that might be negative to the military. During the first 12 hours of the coup information was available only to those able to access the Internet or receive TV channels by satellites not controlled by the junta.
Television censorship On the evening of 19 September, regular programmes on Thai television channels were replaced by video clips and music authored by the king. The next day, shortly after Sonthi's TV conference, all Thai channels were back on air under control of the ICT ministry authorised to censor information. On 21 September 2006, the CDR summoned media executives to army headquarters and ordered them to stop carrying expressions of public opinion. This included a ban against the common practice of broadcasting viewers'
text messages on a
news ticker. The junta did not say whether the ban would extend to newspaper editorials or internet web boards. Thai television broadcasters did not air footage of demonstrations against the coup, including the first major protest on 22 September at Siam Square.
Local cable broadcasts of
CNN,
BBC,
CNBC,
NHK, and several other foreign news channels were censored, with all footage involving Thaksin blacked out. On 21 September 2006,
The Guardian disclosed that armed soldiers are sitting in every television news studio and control room. On Thursday, 12 October 2006,
Suwanna Uyanan, vice president of the
Thai Broadcasting Journalists Association, said that soldiers were occupying Channel 11, where she worked. The nine members of Board of Directors of
MCOT, a privatised state-owned media company, resigned effective 27 September, in order to take responsibility for allowing Thaksin to address the nation on MCOT-controlled Modernine TV (Channel 9).
Radio censorship On Thursday, 21 September 2006, the CDR ordered more than 300
community radio stations in
Chiang Mai,
Chiang Rai, and
Mae Hong Son to suspend broadcasts. Community radio stations in Lamphun, Lampang, and Phayao were also ordered to turn their transmitters off. In addition, the pro-Thaksin Muan Chon Community Radio in Udon Thani stopped broadcasting on Wednesday. Police were stationed at the radio building as well as the office of Siang Tham Community Radio Station, owned by revered monk
Luang Ta Maha Bua. Maha Bua had been a key supporter of the
People's Alliance for Democracy. In response to the community radio ban, some station operators vowed to air only non-political programmes. They promised self-censorship to ensure their programmes would not infringe against CDR rules. Others in the north initiated a signed pledge campaign that they would not become involved in politics and that their programming would be completely free of politics.
Press censorship The websites of the leading Bangkok newspapers
Bangkok Post,
The Nation, and
Thai Rath had been functioning normally and were reporting the coup. Both the
Bangkok Post and
The Nation had been strong critics of the deposed government. The
Daily News website included extensive photographic coverage of the military operations. On the morning of 20 September newspapers were available as usual. On 23 September 2006, the CDR said they would "urgently retaliate against foreign reporters whose coverage has been deemed insulting to the monarchy." Numerous international news agencies speculated at the king's role in the coup.
Internet censorship On 21 September, during a meeting with internet service providers and operators of TV stations, radio stations, and other ICT businesses, the ICT Ministry (ICT) asked webmasters to close political webboards found to contain provocative messages for 12 days. Kraisorn Pornsuthee, ICT Permanent Secretary said that websites and webboards will face permanent closure if such messages continue to appear, but that messages could be posted on webboards as long as they do not provoke any misunderstandings. The anti-coup website 19sep.org was shut down, but later relocated to the US. The official website of the
Thai Rak Thai party was also shut down. On 27 September, the ICT ministry confirmed that at least 10 websites were shut down for violating the junta's regulations. The Midnight University website, a free scholarly resource and discussion board, was temporarily shut down after the management of Midnight University and scholars from
Chiang Mai University conducted a protest against the junta's
draft interim charter. Somkiat Tangnamo, the webmaster of Midnight University, claimed the site contained 1,500 free scholarly articles and received 2.5 million visits per month.
Kasian Tejapira of
Thammasat University claimed the website was "the foremost free and critical educational and public intellectual website in Thailand. The shutdown is not only a huge loss to academic and intellectual freedom in Thai society, but also the closure of a free forum for the contention of ideas so as to find a peaceful alternative to violent conflict in Thailand." Kraisorn Pornsuthee ICT Ministry permanent secretary said he did not know about the shutdown of the website and would ask for details from his officials. In the second week after the coup, the Thai Rak Thai website was temporarily inaccessible, with no indication if it was an act of censure or not. The Thaksin.com website used by Thaksin to receive mail and comments from his supporters and to promote himself was also inaccessible.
Restrictions on political meetings and political parties The military banned any gathering of five or more people for political purposes, threatening violators with six months in jail. On 20 September, the military arrested activist
Chalard Worachat along with
hunger striker and former MP Thawee Kraikup at Democracy Monument while they were peacefully protesting against the coup. The status of the Mass Party, established by PAD leaders, was not known. On 21 September, the junta banned political parties from holding meetings or from conducting any other activities, according to a statement read on national television. It also barred the establishment of new political parties. "Political gatherings of more than five people have already been banned, but political activities can resume when normalcy is restored," the statement said. Despite the bans, the organizers of the Thai Social Forum, a major nationwide conference of 300 social and political activists, insisted that the meeting would continue to take place at
Thammasat University's Rangsit Center from 21 to 23 October.
Jon Ungphakorn, an organizer said that the focus of the conference would be media reform and press freedom.
Restrictions on the right to travel The military interpreted the restriction on the right to assembly as a restriction against travel, in at least one case. On the night of 25 September 100 teachers from
Chiang Rai were traveling via bus to attend a social function in
Chonburi Province when they were stopped by soldiers at a checkpoint. The soldiers refused to allow the two busloads of teachers to continue because they failed to provide a permit from the Chiang Rai army commander for them to move in a group larger than five people. Large groups travelling into Bangkok were required to seek authorization from their district offices.
Role and position of the king It was assumed by some Thai analysts and the international media that the coup had the support of
King Bhumibol Adulyadej. For some analysts, the silence of both the King and
Privy Council President General
Prem Tinsulanonda on the day following the coup was taken as indicating support.
Remarks made earlier in 2006 by Thaksin had been widely understood as a criticism of Prem's continued influence in Thai politics. At the time that special forces started mobilizing from Lopburi to Bangkok, Prem was having an audience with the king.--> Given the extensive
reserve powers retained by the king, this statement gave legitimacy to the coup and legal authority to Sonthi's position. Some Thai analysts have said that the king must have at least been in favour of the coup. "The role of the king was critical in this crisis," said
Thitinan Pongsudhirak of
Chulalongkorn University, adding that "This coup was nothing short of Thaksin versus the King. He is widely seen as having implicitly endorsed the coup." Thitinan said he believed the king had allowed the coup to take place as it was the best option available, saying "What we were heading for otherwise was violence in the streets".
Sulak Sivaraksa, a well-known social critic, said, "Without his involvement, the coup would have been impossible." Sulak added that the king is "very skillful. He never becomes obviously involved. If this coup goes wrong,
Sonthi will get the blame, but whatever happens, the King will only get praise." The Bangkok correspondent of
The Australian, Peter Alford, wrote: "The King's overriding commitment has always been to social stability...and by December last year, he had clearly lost any faith in Thaksin's capacity to govern without wedging the country apart...All Prem need do is refrain from criticising the coup... for almost all Thais to believe they know the King's will." On 13 April 2008, the
Asia Sentinel wrote: "Never mind elections, the fate of Thaksin's proxy party could be decided, yet again, by Thailand's royalist judges and generals. Thailand's proxy war between Thaksin loyalists and Bangkok's royalist elite is stirring once again, with the outcome as uncertain as ever." ==National reactions==