Thailand was thrown into turmoil yesterday when the army sent tanks and troops into the capital to wrest power from the prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, while he was attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In the first military intervention for 15 years in the notoriously coup-prone country, the army threw a cordon of tanks around the government offices in Bangkok, seized control of television stations and revoked the constitution.
The coup leaders ordered all soldiers not involved to remain in their barracks. Hundreds of soldiers were deployed at crossroads and outside hotels and near the royal palace.
The coup met no resistance and went largely unnoticed in the districts popular with tourists. There are approximately 500 Irish people resident in Thailand, with an estimated 1,000 Irish holidaymakers currently in the country, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Army officers said the coup had been organised by the commander-in-chief, General Sondhi Boonyaratkalin. It was reported to have been carried out by troops moved from the western province of Kanchanaburi.
Political unrest has been growing in Thailand since Mr Thaksin, democratically elected in 2001, ignited a row in January when he sold a family stake in a telecoms firm. Faced with mass protests amid allegations of corruption and abuse of power, he held a snap election in April but the constitutional court annulled it and called for a new election later this year.
Mr Thaksin, who had been due to speak at the general assembly today, has cancelled his address. His supporters said he plans to head home. But an army spokesman, Colonel Akara Chitroj, said last night: "The government is no longer administering the country. I think Thaksin will not return to Thailand for the time being."
The coup leaders last night met King Bhumibol Adulyadej, head of state and a revered figure in the country. The army, in an announcement carried by TV and radio, declared that a "council of administrative reform" had been established. The soldiers arrested the deputy prime minister and the defence minister.
Mr Thaksin, in a show of bravado from New York, declared a state of emergency and sacked Gen Sondhi. The prime minister had warned in August that military officers were plotting his overthrow.
Kenneth Bailes, a US State Department spokesman, said: "We look to the Thai people to resolve their political differences in a peaceful manner and in accord with the principles of democracy and the rule of law."
Lt Gen Prapart Sakuntanak, on behalf of the coup leaders, promised that the takeover would be temporary and power would be "returned to the people" soon.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said the department was advising anyone intending to travel to Thailand to exercise a "high degree" of caution. However, it was not at this stage advising them to alter their travel plans to the country.
The department had not introduced any particular measures for those Irish who were currently in the country, he said.
Speaking to RTÉ news from Bangkok last night, Irish businessman Patrick Browne said TV stations were switched off following the coup. However, he described the atmosphere in the city as "surprisingly calm" last night, with some people feeling it may be an internal problem for the country.- (Guardian service)