Coup Declared!

[Fidel]

Also yellow ribbons on tank barrels

[dddave]

Right now, whatever is going on at military instalations around Thailand will be the key.

The Army is deeply split between Taksin loyalist and detractors, I would love to know who suddenly found themselver under house arrest, or worse, late this afternoon.

 

For the last month, there has been bitter infighting with-in the Armed forces over Taksins attemt to outst top commanders not sworn to support him and replace them with loyal members of his military class.

The Navy and Air forces are very much under the control of very powerful commanders and might hold the balance.

Yes, if cool heads don't resolve things pretty quickly, this could get very ugly indeed.

 

Do any of you airline specialist know if an airplane can take-off...uh, say from New York, if it has not had clearance to land at it's intended destination? I doubt very much that the leaders of this coup will want Taksin anywhere near Bangkok, much less Thailand. I think there is little doubt that landing permission will not be forthcomming.

Malaysia, Singapore and The Phillipines probably wouldn't be too thrilled to be his "Home away from home." Maybe Hun Sen will let him bunk down in one of his casinos if he brings enough money. (Dollars Please!)

[hooky]

I have just got onto the Bangkok post site from the UK. It doesn't say much though.

 

Also spoke to a friend in BKK. She was fast asleep and unaware of what is going on.

 

BBC radio are reporting a curfew in BKK. Can anyone confirm?

[surebet]

This is no "insider trading scam" for sure.

 

Last 3 days the baht has been the strongest it's been in a year - anyone could have been selling the baht through forward/spot markets with prior knowledge accumulating positions worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The oft quoted saying on Wall Street is "Buy the rumor sell the news". 30-50% in 3 hours ain't bad.

[pasathai1]

I just tried calling 4 people in Bangkok and can't get through at all.. Hope it's just network congestion!

 

Wonder when they'll disconnect the net!!

 

 

 

My daughter has been calling me last hour, outgoing from bkk seems ok on cell phone system

[MooNoi]

Do any of you airline specialist know if an airplane can take-off...uh, say from New York, if it has not had clearance to land at it's intended destination?

 

Does Thaksin use a private plane or fly on Thai? If he flies on Thai they couldn't really stop the flight could they? Maybe they'll "arrest" him as soon as he lands?? Woo-hoo!

[Old Hippie]

"...Do any of you airline specialist know if an airplane can take-off...uh, say from New York, if it has not had clearance to land at it's intended destination?..."

 

In theory, no. But this is a rather unusual set of circumstances. No ideas of the airport is even open.

 

United employee travel sight is showing flight headed to BKK...will see what happens...

[Fidel]

I also spoke to several friends in Thailand, some difficulty getting through... but eventually did get through.

[Fidel]

Thai reps at UN saying that THEY are in control, that there was an attempted coup.

[Bangkoktraveler]

[color:blue]Thai armed forces seize Bangkok in apparent coup

[/color]

The Thai army took control of Bangkok on Tuesday and announced it would set up a commission to reform the constitution despite Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declaring a state of emergency from New York.

 

After tanks surrounded Government House in the country's first coup in 15 years, all television channels relayed a written statement saying the armed forces and police were in control of Bangkok and surrounding provinces, and appealed for calm.

 

It said the armed forces and police had set up a commission to decide on political reforms, ousting Thaksin in the midst of protracted political crisis in which he was accused of undermining democracy.

 

 

Weerasak Kohsurat, a deputy minister in a prior government, told Reuters he believed royal adviser Sumate Tantivejakul would head the reform commission and an interim government would be formed while political reforms were agreed.

 

Elections would be called soon and Thaksin would be allowed to take part, he said.

 

The statement was broadcast shortly after Thaksin called a television station to make a statement from New York, where he is attending a United Nations summit.

 

"I declare Bangkok under a severe state of emergency," he said.

 

The transmission stopped after 10 minutes while the billionaire telecoms tycoon-turned-politician, whose critics accuse him of corruption and abuse of power, was still talking.

The capital remained quiet, according to the television message and Reuters reporters.

 

Inside Government House, around 50 soldiers ordered police in the complex to lay down their weapons, a witness said.

 

In his television statement, Thaksin ordered troops not to "move illegally" and told army commander-in-chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin to report to acting Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya.

 

He also ordered Armed Forces Supreme Commander Ruangroj Mahasaranond to implement the emergency order.

 

 

Even though Thailand's last military coup was 15 years ago, speculation about military intervention has been rife, with motorists calling traffic radio stations last week after tanks were spotted rolling down streets of the capital.

 

That proved to be a false alarm, with the army saying it was merely soldiers returning from exercises.

 

A general election scheduled for October was postponed last week, probably until November.

 

The Thai baht fell immediately after reports of tanks approaching the center of the capital.

 

Taken from http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-09-19T170109Z_01_BKK255937_RTRUKOC_0_US-THAILAND-1.xml&pageNumber=1&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage1