Army Denies Coup Rumours

[John K]

Well to be honest I have not been following Thaksin too much but I guess I should get a read on his body language and what he is saying. If he looks like he did when he was in power then something is afoot. If he is checking to see if his shoes are tied then I guess this thread will die quickly.

[Ngee Ngow]

So, let me get this straight. Sonthi is denying rumors that the Army is planning to overthrow itself?? Ha ha..only in Thailand.

Did any of you geniuses ever think that if there WAS another coup, it would be to restore the legitimate, elected government??

[FRK]

So where is Thaksin? I was hoping someone would post that information. Last I heard China I think playing golf. That would put him 2 hours away.

China.........He aint coming back!!

Why do you think he's hopping around Asia and staying within 2 hours of Bangkok, instead of relaxing with his family in London, as he initially claimed he wanted to do? Also, in China there's no free press to follow his movements and report on who he's seeing and what he's doing.

[khunbill]

Anyone else notice on last night's Thai news the story about another "bomb" being found in Bangkok somewhere?

When the Camera zoomed in close on the disarmed device, the markings "M22A2 - Smoke" could be clearly read - it looked very much like a US manufactured 80mm/3" mortar round.

That proves it!!! Bush and the Americans are to blame!! Let the conspiracy theories begin!!

[TAWP]

Did any of you geniuses ever think that if there WAS another coup, it would be to restore the legitimate, elected government??

New to thailand, are we?

[sjaak327]

So, let me get this straight. Sonthi is denying rumors that the Army is planning to overthrow itself?? Ha ha..only in Thailand.

Did any of you geniuses ever think that if there WAS another coup, it would be to restore the legitimate, elected government??

Maybe, then yet maybe not. I only hope they will get a move on, and call for general elections as soon as possible. Make some progress with that constitution or just re-instate the old one. This country is in deep polictical shit, ever since the themasek deal...

[farangsay]

So where is Thaksin? I was hoping someone would post that information. Last I heard China I think playing golf. That would put him 2 hours away.

China.........He aint coming back!!

Why do you think he's hopping around Asia and staying within 2 hours of Bangkok, instead of relaxing with his family in London, as he initially claimed he wanted to do? Also, in China there's no free press to follow his movements and report on who he's seeing and what he's doing.

Jeez , you ain't in LOS or you'd have heard of visa runs !

[birago23]

Slowly getting fed up with all this coups and counter coups....It is becoming a real Mickey Mouse country. I mean, it is hard to take Thais serious all the time...

Let's hope they find someone to blame for the bombs, have Taksin sent far away, never to return on go on minding their business, whatever they do

[Prakanong]

Its Temasek - they are behind it all

[John K]

Well on thing if it isn’t Thaksin then it must be all the x-pats with VOA planning the coup.

[Plus]

The elected and legitimate government was dismissed almost a year ago, on February 24.

There's nothing to return to.

[farangsay]

Well on thing if it isn’t Thaksin then it must be all the x-pats with VOA planning the coup.

The most plausible theory in this thread so far.

[farangsay]

Two comments

I went to the Nation site and the Bangkok Post site.

I found the BP story quoted in the OP but not the

Nation story, Whatever , check it yourself.

If you're a real yellow press journalist how about

phoning GWB say and asking him if he's offed his

missus.

Then , when you get a denial , you can print a headline

"GWB denies killing his wife". The fact that she is still alive

is not so important.

Anyway keep on theorising about something that's not

real. I do it myself. But I'm honest enough to admit it's

a fantasy.

PS I have just been updated by the OP that the BP now

has the story.

Enjoy.

And speculate.

But above all enjoy.

Edited January 4, 2007 by farangsay

[george]

I went to the Nation site and the Bangkok Post site.

I found the BP story quoted in the OP but not the

Nation story

The Nation article is here:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/04...es_30023292.php

[endure]

Stop the personal insults please. Holidays are available for those who can't.

[robint]

Could be true. Currently having great difficulty accessing web sites outside of Thailand through True.

So am I as it happens.. means nothingmind considering the state of communications recently !

totster

I had enormouse trouble yesterday, couldnt access hotmail or google, web sites were very diffivult.

BUT strangely I used a censor bypass app annoymous proxy server and could then get hotmail/google straight away

just cos im paranoid doesnt make me wrong

today seems back to normal

[dotcom]

Looks like we're returning to the good old '60's & '70's, when the coup was regarded as Thailand's national sport.

Boinking will always be the Thai National Sport

[thefusilier]

Could be true. Currently having great difficulty accessing web sites outside of Thailand through True.

So am I as it happens.. means nothingmind considering the state of communications recently !

totster

I had enormouse trouble yesterday, couldnt access hotmail or google, web sites were very diffivult.

BUT strangely I used a censor bypass app annoymous proxy server and could then get hotmail/google straight away

just cos im paranoid doesnt make me wrong

today seems back to normal

"a censor bypass app annoymous proxy server"

LOL I was worried I was the only one who used one.

[george]

Update:

Coup leaders tighten grip

Troops shifted to key locations in capital n Sonthi denies split in CNS or coup against Surayud

BANGKOK: -- Senior Council for National Security (CNS) members moved to consolidate its power yesterday in an apparent bid to clamp down on remnants of the previous regime.

Top military leaders in the junta flatly denied rumours sweeping the capital over a coup attempt to seize power from the CNS-installed Surayud government.

Reported troop movements were described in a running message on Army-run TV Channel 5 as necessary "rotation" to facilitate some strategic adjustment.

Although the CNS leaders denied any bid to remove Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, several sources said it was understood that the CNS would now bypass the Surayud government in dealing with major security threats, following the New Year bomb attacks in Bangkok.

The rumours revolved around deputy CNS chief Lt-Gen Saprang Kalayanamitra, but in an interview he denied plotting against Surayud, who he admitted might have been "too nice".

"There's only an adjustment of internal strategy so we can deal more effectively with those who have ill intentions toward the country," Saprang said.

A reliable source said that late last night, Saprang, CNS Sonthi Boonyaratglin and Surayud were meeting at the Army Headquarters in Bangkok.

Sources said Saprang has been rather unhappy with the soft approach of Surayud in dealing with the remnants of the Thaksin Shinawatra regime, which has allegedly been rocking both the government and CNS.

Surayud is scheduled to travel to Chiang Mai today to take part in a charity event to raise funds for the victims of civil strife in the South.

The CNS give itself more teeth by adopting a revolutionary decree empowering the prime minister to execute those who commit crimes against the country, the sources said.

Rumours have abounded about conflicts within the CNS - and between the CNS and the Surayud government - over how to deal with deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. These conflicts reportedly intensified in the wake of the bomb incidents.

Army chief and CNS head General Sonthi Boonyaratglin denied troops were mobilised from the Second Army Region base in Nakhon Ratchasima. "There's no such movement," the leader of the September 19 coup said.

He also dismissed speculation the September 19 coup leaders were about to stage another coup to boost its own power.

Assistant Army Commander in Chief Gen Anupong Paojinda also denied the intense rumours. He said there would neither be a coup to topple the interim leadership nor an internal coup to boost the power of the CNS.

"I can guarantee 1,000 per cent that there will be neither [type of] coup," he said, totally denying rumours about troop mobilisation.

However, the Army did rotate troops to guard some 300 locations - with five to six men at each site - in the capital as preventive measures after the deadly bombs on New Year Eve, he said.

The latest coup rumours began on Wednesday night, following the bomb attacks in Bangkok on Sunday night. The rumours intensified yesterday evening, with 9.30pm proclaimed as the time the coup would be launched.

At about 8pm last night after the rumour had spread widely, the junta made a televised announcement on the Army-run TV 5 denying troops were being mobilised with ill-intent.

"The army urges all citizens not to believe the rumour and be confident in the junta's ability to control the situation. By now, the Army chief General Sonthi has assured the situation is normal," it said.

Another message run on TV5 said the Army chief would give an interview on the "Siam This Morning" programme at 6.20am today.

"Please stay tuned", it said. The running message also sought understanding from people for any inconvenience caused by troop rotations.

One rumour had tanks rolling from Nakhon Ratchasima province in the Northeast - where the second Army region is stationed - to Bangkok, while the Army TV was relaying the message to cool down public tension.

But Lt General Sujet Watanasuk, commander of the Second Army Region, dismissed the report, saying that a certain group of ill-intentioned people had tried to spread gossip to create chaos.

"There was a rumour throughout the day that the coup would take place in the second and third Army regions. I saw no reason why the military needs to make a coup again," he said.

A deputy chairman of the CNS also dismissed a rumour about a new coup following an alleged rift among the eight CNS members. He believed it would not happen, but said nothing would "guarantee" it would not really take place.

"The coup is unlikely to happen because all military groups understand they have the same mission - to solve the national crisis," Air Chief Marshall Chalit Pukpasuk said.

Asked if he could tell [the public] that the coup would not take place, no matter what the condition was, Chalit said that no one could guarantee if it would not happen. But he believed that no one would stage a coup.

Apart from Chalit, the CNS members are Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, Gen Boonsrang Niumpradit, Admiral Sathiraphan Keyanond, Gen Winai Phathiyakul, Police chief Gen Kowit Watana, Lt-Gen Anupong Paojinda and Lt-Gen Saprang Kalayanamitra.

Earlier, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said citizens should be alert and prepare for a "new threat" to national security after the New Year bombs in Bangkok.

He said he had assigned the Internal Security Operations Command to ensure security in the capital and prevent a repeat of the bomb attacks.

Authorities had made some progress in collecting evidence that could lead to the arrest of culprits, he said.

--TNA 2007-01-05

[Jeff1]

Ok, so what time does the coup start?

Yeah right ! And Where ?

Missed the last one by 5 days.

This time I want a T-shirt and a photo of me with a tank !

That would be cool. You can stand in front of the tank, holding a flower and say" why can't we all just get along? " Just like that guy in China.

On a personal note. Somebody better do something fast. I need the baht to go down to , oh, say 50 to the dollar by next week.

[robint]

WOW no smoke without fire

Do they not understand the power of mobile phone and the internet to get info to the people?

they might muffle the media and even this site, but truth will out. The spotlight is very much on los just now

Denying movements when a contributors parents in law are stationed in the barracks and reliably report Khorat based being "cleared out"

Ive got CNN running

you will know when cable is cut, same as before

just look at all the lying double talk - give me a break

[macduff]

[come on guys whats the real story. jackanory finshed years ago.

[Rinrada]

If its in the Pattaya Mail tomorrow then I will believe it .....otherwise ....mai chai....zat right Petal...... ...box of chocs

[LPCustom69]

Get a grip. The Thai military has supplies from the US, Russia and about any othermunitions manufacturer you can think of.

When the Camera zoomed in close on the disarmed device, the markings "M22A2 - Smoke" could be clearly read - it looked very much like a US manufactured 80mm/3" mortar round.

That proves it!!! Bush and the Americans are to blame!! Let the conspiracy theories begin!!

[bluebear]

I dont know why so many of you are making fun of this.

This is serious stuff at all levels. For thais, the economy, for tourists, for expats..................

[Drafi]

The last time the army denied publicly coup rumours that was exactly what happened some days later. I remember reading the newspaper several days before the coup in september 2006 and wondering why the hel_l an army general denied vigorously planning a coup. Some days later I knew.

[kenk3z]

You'd have to have a pretty short memory not to realize that shortly before the last coup there was a strong denial that there would be any such thing.

About the same thing as Thaksin telling everyone he was just "going shopping" in Singapore.........

kenk3z

[TAWP]

I dont know why so many of you are making fun of this.

This is serious stuff at all levels. For thais, the economy, for tourists, for expats..................

For many humor is a defence-mechanism too.

We would go insane if we sat and pondered about everything going on + the changing Visas and the knowledge that in theory anything could change whenever the least expect it - and many of us have family here.

[legendarysurfer]

As to whether or not there will be another coup or an increased power coup, remember what one of you guys so insightfully wrote in the thread following the 9/19/2549 coup: "Where's Prem?"

[lukamar]

The CNS give itself more teeth by adopting a revolutionary decree empowering the prime minister to execute those who commit crimes against the country, the sources said.

I can't believe that no one has noticed this tidbit, among all the "no second coup" the fluff. Now that's scarier than the drug war by miles, but it will be legal. If you can't beat them and they won't join you, just take em out and execute em - problem solved..