Coup in Thailand
Updated on 19 September 2006
Tanks roll into Bangkok as a military coup overthrows the Thai Prime Minister.
>>Watch the report
The government of Thailand has been dismissed and the constitution revoked - the words of the coup's leaders in the last few minutes.
In reply, a forlorn declaration of a state of emergency by the ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra stranded at the UN in New York eight thousand miles away, was the only response he could offer.
The military used his absence to end months of protest with a coup. After reports that tanks were heading towards central Bangkok, the prime Minister called on troops not to "move illegally"
But that didn't stop the military from taking over government headquarters and announcing the formation of a commission to consider political reforms.
The first reports of tanks came at 4.15 this afternoon - that's 10.15pm in Thailand - they blocked roads and circled government headquarters
At the same time Thai TV began to broadcast images of the royal family and play patriotic songs associated with past military coups.
By10.26pm the Thai Prime Minister, speaking in New York, had declared "Bangkok is under a severe state of emergency"
By 10.55 - it was reported that fifty soldiers were inside Government House and had ordered police to lay down their weapons
And at 11.15 - loudspeakers played messages for people to get off the streets of Bangkok, while the British Foreign Office website was advising any British tourists there to avoid crowds and demonstrations.
Related links
FCO travel advice for Thailand
2Bangkok blog
