September 19, 2006

After months of street protests against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his government, partly in response to the urging of some factions of protesters, partly to prevent an imminent outbreak of violence, the military seized power in a coup d’etat on 19 September 2006. They cited four reasons that necessitated their action: that PM Thaksin was fostering a dangerous split among Thais; that his government was corrupt and nepotistic; that he undermined independent watchdog organisations; that he disrespected the institution of the monarchy.
After the coup, many people, not just from Bangkok but also from the provinces, converged on the tanks around the Royal Plaza and the Marble Temple to offer flowers and to pose for photographs with soldiers. This created a celebratory carnival atmosphere, an unbelievable phenomenon in stark contrast to the people’s reaction to other coups in the past. Foreign tourists also joined in, posing for pictures with soldiers and tanks along with the Thais.