Thailand's military ousts prime minister in coup while he's in New York

BANGKOK, Thailand — Thailand's army commander staged a coup Tuesday night and ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra while he was in New York, circling his offices with tanks, declaring martial law and revoking the constitution.

Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin, who is known to be close to Thailand's revered monarch and is a Muslim in this Buddhist-dominated nation, took power without a shot being fired. He will serve as acting prime minister, said army spokesman Col. Akara Chitroj.

"The armed forces commander and the national police commander have successfully taken over Bangkok and the surrounding area in order to maintain peace and order. There has been no struggle," the new leaders said in a statement on national television. "We ask for the cooperation of the public and ask your pardon for the inconvenience."

As soldiers and armored vehicles moved through drizzly Bangkok, the military declared a provisional authority loyal to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, calling itself the "Council of Administrative Reform."

The council, it said, soon return power to a democratic government but did not specify what reforms they would carry out.

The military ordered all troops to report to their duty stations. There was no sign of resistance to the coup in the hours after it was announced late Tuesday.

The coup leaders also said all schools, banks and the stock market will be closed Wednesday. Civil servants, including permanent secretaries of ministries, heads of state agencies, and heads of universities in the Bangkok metropolitan area were ordered to report to the council on Wednesday morning.

Akara said Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit had been removed from his post.

An army general, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said Chitchai and Defense Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya — two Thaksin loyalists — had been arrested.

"The government is no longer administering the country," Akara said.

Thaksin, who has faced calls to step down amid allegations of corruption and abuse of power, was in New York at the U.N. General Assembly, and he declared a state of emergency in an audio statement via a government-owned TV station in Bangkok in a vain attempt to stave off the coup.

Thaksin, who had been scheduled to address the General Assembly, canceled his speech.