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81-601: After Thaksin was deposed by the 2006 Thai coup d'état , the junta transformed ISOC into a government within a government, giving it wide-reaching authority over the National Anti-Corruption Commission , the Department of Special Investigation , and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO). The junta also authorized it to help provincial authorities in marketing OTOP products. In June 2007,

162-568: A "threat." "Myself and several other people understand that supporters and opponents will clash on the day that Thaksin returns home. It would be a big commotion," he said. Deputy Premier Surakiart Sathirathai was with Thaksin attending the UN General Assembly in New York when the military staged a coup on Tuesday against the prime minister. Surakiart was, at the time, in the hotly contested race to succeed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan ,

243-589: A Thai official said. "The (new) Thai authorities have reaffirmed their support for Dr Surakiart's candidature for the UNSG," Thai ambassador to the United States Virasakdi Futrakul told AFP. "There's no change. He's still in the race." The former deputy premier had left for Bangkok after the junta took power. Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya remained in Singapore where he was attending the annual meeting of

324-545: A budget of more than 18 billion baht for the division over the next four years. The 15th Infantry Division is being established as a permanent force to handle security problems in the Deep South. The division is based in Pattani and is expected to have a combined force of around 10,000. The establishment of this new division, approved by the government in 2005, has yet to be completed. As of this writing, some 7,000 troops deployed in

405-527: A continuous terrain model, incorporates HLA 1516, and displays 1:250,000 and 1:50,000 maps and satellite imagery. ATLAS was developed between 2002 and 2005 through co-operation with the Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC). Army Medical Department (AMED) ( กรมแพทย์ทหารบก ) belongs to the service segment of the Royal Thai Army. It is in charge of medical affairs, and providing medical care, both in

486-509: A couple of days earlier. Sonthi also claimed that during a lunch that Thaksin had with the commanders of the armed forces, Thaksin had asked him "Will you stage a coup?" Sonthi replied: "I will." This contradicted earlier public statements where he denied that the military would stage a coup. The Nation noted that the timing of the coup contains many instances of the number nine, a highly auspicious number in Thai numerology . The coup occurred at

567-548: A declaration on 21 September setting out their reasons for taking power and giving the commitment to restore democratic government within one year. However, the CDR also announced that after elections and the establishment of a democratic government, the council would be transformed into a Council of National Security (CNS) whose future role in Thai politics was not explained. The CNS later drafted an interim charter and appointed retired General Surayud Chulanont as Premier. Martial law

648-479: A major anti-Thaksin rally also planned for that day. He cited the " Portuguese example " in which anti-government rallies coincided with a successful military rebellion which overthrew King Manuel II of Portugal and established the Portuguese First Republic . The coup was moved up to 19 September, when Thaksin was still in New York. Sonthi also stated that the coup was not an urgent measure mooted just

729-499: A major restructuring of the ISOC prior to the coup which overthrew him in September 2006. Soon after the coup, the junta released three army suspects in the car bomb plot. Junta leader and Army Commander-in-Chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin appointed himself head of ISOC (its previous head had been the prime minister) and transformed ISOC into a "government within a government". The new ISOC

810-644: A parliament debate in February 2020, Future Forward MP Viroj Lakkana-adisorn presented a document revealing the percentage of the Internal Security Operation Command (ISOC) budget dedicated to information warfare in Thailand's three southern provinces of Narathiwas, Songkhla, and Yala. Three additional documents detailed Defense Ministry orders to conduct information warfare against opposition parties and politicians, including specific budget details for

891-612: A photo printed in The Nation Multimedia newspaper, led Sondhi Limthongkul , the owner of Phoochatkarn, to start using We Love the King , We Will Fight for the King , and Return Power to the King as his key anti-Thaksin rallying slogans. This allegation has been repeated in Sondhi's Thailand Weekly live tapings. Sondhi formed the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), yellow shirts , rallied

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972-531: A totalitarian state. 2006 Thai coup d%27%C3%A9tat Successful Thai military and police takeover The 2006 Thai coup d'état took place on 19 September 2006, when the Royal Thai Army staged a coup d'état against the elected caretaker government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra . The coup d'état, which was Thailand 's first non-constitutional change of government in fifteen years since

1053-457: A year, following which he promised national elections would be held. The existence of an information warfare unit participating in a cyber campaign against government critics was leaked to the public in late February 2020. In 2020 Twitter shut down a network of accounts which were engaged in information warfare . According to Twitter "Our investigation uncovered a network of accounts partaking in information operations that we can reliably link to

1134-624: Is bowing out of politics, urging "national reconciliation" after the coup in Bangkok. In a statement issued in London, Thaksin said he will devote himself to development and possibly charity work. We hope the new regime will quickly arrange a new general election and continue to uphold the principles of democracy for the future of all Thais. Columnist Thanong Khanthong of The Nation claimed that Gen. Sonthi acted to prevent an imminent military coup by Thaksin. The columnist contended that Thaksin intended to use

1215-527: Is that there is no law prohibiting retired officers from occupying military housing. In January 2021, the RTA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) to study the feasibility of constructing solar farms on 4.5 million rai of army land to generate 30,000 megawatts of electricity. Following up, on 22 February 2021 a meeting was called by

1296-509: Is up to the army commander because there is not yet complete trust in the situation," Lieutenant Romklao Thuwatham. Thailand's coup leader ordered two more top aides, Newin Chidchob , the minister attached to the premier's office, and Yongyuth Tiyapairat , minister of natural resources and environment, to deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to report to the military, one day after detaining his senior deputy. "They must report themselves to

1377-466: The 1991 Thai coup d'état which ended in a bloody violent crackdown in 1992 by the Royal Thai Army and the Royal Thai Police . Thailand promulgated the 1997 constitution of Thailand ,the 'people constitution', for the first time in the history of Thailand that both the upper house and lower house were directly elected . The populist Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT), led by Thaksin Shinawatra , won

1458-461: The 1991 Thai coup d'état , followed a year-long political crisis involving Thaksin, his allies, and political opponents and occurred less than a month before nationwide House elections were scheduled to be held. It has been widely reported in Thailand and elsewhere that General Prem Tinsulanonda , a key person in the military-monarchy nexus , Chairman of the Privy Council, was the mastermind of

1539-504: The 2001 Thai general election . After the end of Thaksin term, for the first time in history, he won the 2005 Thai general election by a landslide. The 2005–2006 Thai political crisis began in October 2005, the website of Phoochatkarn newspaper ran an article alleging that Thaksin had usurped the Royal powers of King Bhumibol Adulyadej by presiding over the ceremony. This blast, referring to

1620-408: The 2014 Thai coup d'état eight years later against the government of Yingluck Shinawatra , Thaksin Shinawatra 's sister, by removing her government . The 2014 coup had taken over the country for five years, much longer than the 2006 coup, and drafted the junta senates to be involved in the prime minister election. Thirteen years before, a conflict in Thai politics between military factions caused

1701-671: The World Bank / IMF . Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak remained in Paris , but returned to Bangkok on Thursday. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon flew from Paris, where he was attending the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition presided over by Princess Sirindhorn , to Germany, before returning to Bangkok. Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan was reported to have fled to Paris with her family. Thai Rak Thai party executive and former Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana left

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1782-615: The 1855 Bowring Treaty with Britain, which opened the country for international trade. In modern era, the army has a long history of coups d'état and coup attempts . Its leadership continues to see coup-making as one role of the army. On 22 May 2014 the army deposed the government, appointed military officers to the national assembly , and on 21 August 2014 they elected the army's Commander in Chief, General Prayut Chan-o-cha , as prime minister. The general retired October 2014 to concentrate on political reform which he said would take at least

1863-523: The 19th day of the 9th month of Buddhist Era 2549. Coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin made a major public announcement on the morning after the coup at 9.39 am. The Nation earlier indicated 09:16 as the time for Sonthi's press conference and the Buddhist calendar is in line with the Gregorian calendar only since 1941. The junta was accused of paying Army officers 1.5 billion baht in order to participate in

1944-544: The Council for Political Reform at Army Headquarters" at noon (05:00 GMT) Thursday, the order said, referring to the provisional body the coup leaders have set up. Ousted deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak arrived at the Don Mueang International Airport returning from France. The chartered Thai Airways jet that took ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to New York and later to London returned to

2025-492: The Deep South are affiliated to this division." In 2012, two new combat formations had been approved by the thai government. The new 7th Infantry Division is based at Mae Rim, near Chiang Mai , and the new 3rd Cavalry Division is based at Khon Kaen . The army is organised into the following formations: The Army Tactical Level Advanced Simulation (ATLAS) is an interactive, distributed, constructive simulation used to conduct military Command Post Exercises (CPX). ATLAS displays

2106-519: The Don Mueang Military Airport after being diverted from Bangkok's commercial airport. On board the plane were some 20 members of the press corps and low-ranking officials who had travelled with him. Ten heavily armed commandos immediately surrounded the plane and conducted an inspection. All were released after their passports were stamped. Ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra called for new snap elections in his homeland and confirmed he

2187-507: The Internet) were operational. The army declared martial law nationwide, ordered all soldiers to report to their barracks and banned troop movements unauthorised by the CDR. Television footage showed heavily armed troops in M113 armored personnel carriers and M998 HMMWV vehicles on the streets of the city. Many soldiers and military vehicles wore strips of yellow cloth as a symbol of loyalty to

2268-408: The King. Later reasons stated by junta leaders included Thaksin's alleged vote buying, plans to provoke violence, and weakening of the military. Two months after the coup, the junta issued a white paper identifying many reasons for the coup, including corruption, abuse of power, lack of integrity, interference in the checks and balances system, human rights violations, and destroying the unity of

2349-655: The Premier Prommin Lertsuridej and Labor Ministry Permanent Secretary Somchai Wongsawat (who is Thaksin's brother-in-law) were also placed under arrest on the second floor of the army command building. The Secretary-General was last reported being detained at the same guesthouse as the Deputy Chitchai Wannasathit . Natural Resources and Environmental Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchop were ordered to report to

2430-573: The Royal Thai Army (RTA)." The operation had targeted the political opposition within Thailand. The Thai Army denied that they had been involved in the disinformation operation. The number of army generals is unclear. One point of comparison: as of 1 November 2019, the US Army had 322 general officers for a force of 471,990 troops. Saiyud Kerdphol is Thailand's oldest general, a veteran of World War II and Korea who retired in 1983 as supreme commander. During his tenure, general officer numbers were based on

2511-471: The Third Army, claimed that planning for the coup had begun 7 months in advance, thus contradicting claims that the coup was executed as a reactive pre-emptive strike against violence and Sonthi's who had said "hundreds of thousands" of pro- and anti-Thaksin supporters planned to descend on Bangkok. General Sonthi later said in an interview that the coup was originally planned for 20 September, to coincide with

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2592-440: The afternoon, Thailand's coup leader summoned media executives to army headquarters to tell them to stop carrying expression of public opinion following the military takeover. The move came after the military imposed strict controls on the media and said they would block information deemed harmful to the provisional military council now in control of Thailand. The army official said the normal television programming will be resumed but

2673-731: The armed forces have ownership in 537 radio and TV stations). In early 2020, the army entered an agreement with the Finance Ministry to turn over to the ministry the management of businesses unrelated to the army's mission. In a related move, army commander General Apirat Kongsompong decreed that retired generals must move out of army-owned housing to free space for serving officers. As of 2020 , about 100 retired generals and colonels inhabit army accommodations. Some ex-generals, like PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan were exempted immediately from eviction because of their "contribution to society". The Thai Defence Ministry position

2754-513: The bloodshed was set to take place. On Friday, the Rangers were in the process of being disarmed. Both Newin and Yongyuth were later detained, the latter being accused of mobilizing the Forestry Police. Coup-planner Prasong Soonsiri later denied that Thaksin planned his own coup. However, fellow The Nation columnist " Chang Noi " called Thanong Khanthong's claims "a myth" that had "achieved

2835-489: The caretaker government is allowed to govern it will hurt the country. They have also repeatedly insulted the king. Thus the council needed to seize power to control the situation, to restore normalcy and to create unity as soon as possible. Shortly after this announcement, Thai TV programmes resumed whilst cable TV partly resumed. However, main foreign news channels (CNN, BBC, CNBC, NHK and Bloomberg) remained blacked out. The country's northern border with Laos and Myanmar

2916-487: The commander will be General Pana Klaewblaudtuk. The army is organized nationally into four army areas: The creation of the 15th Infantry Division was announced in January 2005. Defence Minister, General Samphan Boonyanan, was quoted as saying that the new unit, dubbed the "Development Division", would not be a combat unit for fighting Islamic militants, but rather its main mission would be to assist local citizens and develop

2997-612: The cooperation of the public and ask your pardon for the inconvenience. Thank you and good night. The junta , initially called the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM), later took the name of Council for Democratic Reform to rule out suspicions about the role of the monarchy. Foreign news channels, such as BBC World , CNN , CNBC , and Bloomberg Television , were reported to have been taken off air, although foreign broadcasters were still able to broadcast from Bangkok. Telecommunications networks (telephone and

3078-456: The council would begin making its own televised announcements every two hours starting from 11:00 am (04:00 GMT). RTA Troops and tanks began the process of reducing their presence at key government facilities. Four tanks remained at Government House early Thursday, down from 10 the previous day, and fewer armed soldiers are on guard. "As of now we have only two companies of troops – some 50 to 60 – deployed at Government House but total withdrawal

3159-494: The country at an unidentified location. Royal Thai Army The Royal Thai Army or RTA ( Thai : กองทัพบกไทย ; RTGS :  kong thap bok thai ) is the army of Thailand and the oldest and largest branch of the Royal Thai Armed Forces . The Royal Thai Army is responsible for protecting the kingdom's sovereignty. The army was formed in 1874, partly as a response to new security threats following

3240-412: The country for Germany. Deputy Prime Minister in charge of national security Chitchai Wannasathit was arrested after the coup and detained at the army. He was detained on Wednesday and was held at a guesthouse on the northern outskirts of Bangkok , according to army spokesman Colonel Acar Tiproj. Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya 's whereabouts were unknown. Former Secretary-General to

3321-581: The country, as part of a major wider investigation by Facebook and Twitter into attempts to influence the 2020 US Presidential Election . ISOC received a boost when the 2006 coup installed the government of General Surayud Chulanont . His government passed the Internal Security Act, 2008, granting ISOC the status of a state organization reporting to the Office of the Prime Minister . Thaksin planned

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3402-457: The coup was due to class conflicts between the rural poor (who supported Thaksin) and the urban elite (who supported the junta). The scene changed every hour as the coup progressed. Here is how it unfolded after the first tanks rolled in according to the observations of Manik Sethisuwan. Manik was one of a few citizens who was forced to spend the night on the street as his car had run out of gas. According to government laws as of September 2006, it

3483-555: The coup. Junta leader Sonthi Boonyaratkalin stopped short of denying that the military spent money from a secret fund, saying "We certainly needed money for our people's food and other necessary expenses." Many causes of the coup were identified, both by the junta as well as by independent observers. Initial reasons stated by the junta were the Thaksin government's alleged creation of an "unprecedented rift in society", corruption, nepotism, interference in independent agencies, and insults to

3564-434: The coup. The military cancelled the scheduled 15 October elections, abrogated the 1997 constitution , dissolved parliament and the constitutional court , banned protests and all political activities, suppressed and censored the media , declared martial law nationwide, and arrested cabinet members. The new rulers, led by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin and organised as the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR), issued

3645-520: The election result, King Bhumibol took the unprecedented step of calling the elections undemocratic, and soon after the election was declared invalid by the Constitutional Court . New elections were scheduled for October 2006. Planning for the coup started about February 2006. Rumors of unrest in the armed forces and possible takeover plots swirled for months leading to the event. In May 2006, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin issued assurances that

3726-601: The field and on base, training personnel in research and agriculture and supervising the other medical divisions within the Royal Thai Army. AMED observed 111 years of service in January 2011, with 110 years of service having been honoured by issue of a series of commemorative stamps. AMED operates Phramongkutklao Hospital in Bangkok and Ananda Mahidol Hospital in Lopburi, along with smaller hospitals at each fort, as well as Phramongkutklao College of Medicine (PCM) . Royal Thai Army Aviation Center ( ศูนย์การบินทหารบก ) belongs to

3807-561: The handiwork of the CSOC. The military had earlier claimed that the Communist Party of Thailand (CPT) was responsible for the village's destruction. CSOC's name was changed to ISOC in 1974. ISOC conducted operations in cities and the Thai countryside to subvert leftist groups through propaganda and violence. In 1973, the ISOC commenced a bombing campaign against hill tribe villages in northern Thailand. Prime Minister to-be Prem Tinsulanonda

3888-483: The interim charter was promulgated. The status of Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya was unknown. Several party executives including Chaturon Chaisang , Phumtham Wechayachai and Suranand Vejjajiva were reported to still be in Thailand and not arrested by the junta. TRT MP Veera Musikapong was also at liberty. Party Deputy and Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit and former Social Development and Human Security Minister Watana Muangsook were reported to be staying in

3969-404: The internet and mobile phones and the internet. As ISOC reports directly to the prime minister's office, General Prayut denied all the allegations and promised to investigate. In October 2020, Twitter took down a "low-intensity" Royal Thai Army information operation apparently designed to stifle and influence democratic opinion on social media regarding Army scandals and democratic processes in

4050-532: The investigation of the alleged car bomb plot against Mr Thaksin (24 August 2006) vanished from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) Tuesday night around 21:30. Police loyal to deputy police chief Pol Gen Priewphan Damapong (brother of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's wife Khunying Potjaman ) were also seen loading assault weapons from the CSD in vehicles that went off to an unknown destination. In

4131-481: The junta approved a draft national security bill which gave ISOC sweeping powers to handle "new forms of threats" to the country. The ISOC revamp modelled it after the US Department of Homeland Security and gave ISOC sweeping new powers to allow the ISOC chief to implement security measures, such as searches without seeking prime ministerial approval. ISOC's mission is to suppress threats to national security, defend

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4212-652: The junta by noon Thursday. The junta did not specify what punishment they would receive if they failed to report. At the time, there were reports that both Yongyuth and Newin were in London. Troops raided Yongyuth's houses in Mae Chan District of Chiang Rai Province (at 10:35 Wednesday) and Bangkok (Wednesday night), but did not find him. Both Yongyuth and Newin reported to army headquarters on Thursday, and were detained. Chidchai Wannasathit, Newin Chidchop, Yongyuth Tiyapairat, and Prommin Lertsuridet were freed after

4293-419: The king, whose royal color is yellow. Junta commander Sonthi Boonyaratglin confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit and Defence Minister Thammarak Isaragura na Ayuthaya had been arrested. High-ranked civil servants were ordered to report to the council while governmental offices and banks would be closed on 20 September. A few hours after news of the coup broke, BBC News reported that

4374-424: The kingdom's leadership was weak. He also claimed that Thailand had a false democracy. The public was becoming increasingly alarmed by each fresh rumor. In August 2006, there were reports of tank movements near Bangkok, but the military attributed these to a scheduled exercise. In early September, Thai police arrested five army officers, all members of Thailand's counter-insurgency command , after intercepting one of

4455-665: The leader of the coup would be meeting with the king later in the day, although it was unclear at that time what King Bhumibol's position on the coup was. We have seized power. The constitution , the Senate , the House of Representatives , the Cabinet and the Constitutional Court have all been dissolved. We agreed that the caretaker prime minister has caused an unprecedented rift in society, widespread corruption, nepotism , and interfered in independent agencies, crippling them so they cannot function. If

4536-587: The masses on the street and attacked Thaksin through his ASTV channel. Early 2006, amid the Sale of Shin Corporation to Temasek Holdings , Thaksin called the April 2006 election following a mounting campaign of criticism of his financial dealings. TRT party won a majority of seats, partly as a result of the decision by the major opposition parties to boycott the elections led to party dissolution charges against TRT. Due to

4617-416: The military would not seize power. On 20 July 2006, around a hundred middle-ranking army officers said to be supporters of Thaksin were reassigned by the army high command, fuelling rumors that the army was divided between supporters and opponents of the prime minister. In July 2006, 3rd Army Area Commander Saprang Kalayanamitr gave an interview in which he stated that Thai politics was below standard and that

4698-413: The monarchy, promote unity, and protect the public from harm. Nominally a civilian agency, ISOC operates under the aegis of the Office of the Prime Minister . Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha is director of ISOC. Deputy director is army chief General Narongpan Jitkaewthae . ISOC's FY2019 budget is 10,240.1 million baht . ISOC has about 5,000-6,000 staff nationwide, excluding those working in

4779-523: The number of troops under their command. As of 2019 , only 150–200 four-star generals occupy command positions. Speaking on the topic of army manpower, Saiyud declared that, "Everybody being a general is unbelievable. Full generals don't have a seat to sit in or a job to do." The commanders-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army (ผู้บัญชาการทหารบกไทย) is considered the most powerful position in the Royal Thai Armed Forces. With effect from 1 October 2024,

4860-410: The officers with a bomb in a car allegedly targeting the prime minister's residence. Three of the suspects were released after the coup. In December 2006, former National Security Council head Prasong Soonsiri claimed that he and five other senior military figures had been planning a coup as early as July. He claimed that Sonthi was one of those figures, but that Surayud and Prem were not involved at

4941-542: The people. Independent analysts identified widely differing reasons for the coup. Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University alleged that the coup was due to conflicts between Thaksin and King Bhumibol Adulyadej . Biographer Paul Handley noted that "[the coup masterminds] did not want Thaksin in a position to exert influence on the passing of the Chakri Dynasty mantle to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn ." Giles Ungpakorn of Chulalongkorn University claimed that

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5022-589: The political rally planned by the People's Alliance for Democracy at the Royal Plaza on Wednesday 20 September to trigger violence and then declare a state of emergency and place the country under martial law. General Sonthi would have learned from an intelligence report that Yongyuth Tiyapairat and Newin Chidchob were planning to organise a counter protest with the support of the Forestry Police ("Hunter Soldiers" or Rangers) armed with HK33 rifles and acted before

5103-435: The power to summon citizens to provide "information", a function formerly seen as a police responsibility. ISOC, under the order, is also responsible for "social order", a task previously shared by the police and ministries. In October 2019, ISOC filed sedition charges against 12 opposition politicians and academics, including leaders of Future Forward and Pheu Thai parties. They were accused of inciting insurrection against

5184-911: The region. The military will not ignore its general function of providing safety for the citizens of the region, he added. He said that troops for the new division would undergo training to give them a good understanding of local residents, the vast majority of whom are ethnic Malay Muslims. The division is in fact a transformation of the Pranburi -based 16th Infantry Division. It will now be headquartered at Fort Ingkhayutthaborihan in Pattani , complete with its battalions and companies of military police and communications and aviation personnel, he said. It will also have three separate infantry battalions, one each in Pattani, Yala , and Narathiwat . Each battalion will include three companies of medical, engineering, and psychological warfare personnel, he said. The government will allocate

5265-734: The service segment of the Royal Thai Army Areas: The army is divided into districts, whereby the first digit of the district indicates the army (first, second, third or fourth) responsible for its supervision. The names of forts are from locations or influential figures in Thailand's history. These are as follows: The RTA budget for FY 2021 is 107,662 million baht , down from 112,815M baht in FY2020. The army owns more than 30 golf courses nationwide. The army also owns boxing stadium, 100 petrol stations, racecourses, hotels, retail and coffee shops, and radio and television airwaves (by one count,

5346-568: The south, and there are 500,000-600,000 internal security volunteers, as well as tens of thousands of people in its information network. The Communist Suppression Operations Command (CSOC) was established in 1965 with the assistance of the United States to coordinate nationwide anti-communist operations . Following the 17 November 1971 coup by military dictators Thanom Kittikachorn and Praphas Charusathien , Praphas appointed himself interior minister, chief of police, and head of CSOC. The CSOC

5427-531: The state for discussing amendments to the junta-drafted 2017 constitution on 28 September in Pattani Province . Their choice of venue is unfortunate as Pattani operates under a " state of emergency " enacted by the army to combat local separatists. This means that the defendants may be tried in a military tribunal. A leading Thai political scientist warned that giving a militarized surveillance agency free rein in internal security issues risked turning Thailand into

5508-434: The status of 'fact'." Chang Noi noted the absolute lack of any corroborating evidence to support the claims of imminent violence as well as the lack of opposing troop movements on the night of the coup. Chang Noi called the myth a "salve" for people "surprised and a little ashamed to find themselves supporting a coup. This myth makes the coup reactive and defensive." He also noted that General Saprang Kalayanamitr , commander of

5589-485: The status of the newly selected Election Commission and adding that the EC ACT would organize the election of local administrations and councils. The Council for Democratic Reform then issued its seventh order dividing responsibilities into four divisions as part of responsibility sharing. The four divisions were the CDR, the secretariat, the advisory division, and the special affairs division. The files and papers related to

5670-585: The time. On the evening of 19 September 2006, the Thai military and police overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra . At the time, the premier was in New York City at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly . 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. We ask for

5751-479: Was a senior officer of the ISOC. ISOC's role declined starting in the early-1980s after the downfall of the CPT. However, it still had great influence. On 1 April 1987, after Prime Minister Kukrit Pramoj claimed that ISOC had been brainwashed by communists, over 200 Thai Army Rangers attacked the prime minister's residence. ISOC Deputy Director Pallop Pinmanee was sacked after Lieutenant Thawatchai Klinchana, his driver,

5832-474: Was closed for a couple of days. In an interview given before leaving New York for London with Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai , spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee, and his personal assistant Padung Limcharoenrat, Thaksin Shinawatra said: I didn't expect that this will happen. I came here as Prime Minister but left as an unemployed man. It's fine that no one gives me a job. I volunteered to work but they didn't want to give me job, so it's fine. Thaksin

5913-485: Was criticized as being a shadowy puppet master pulling the strings of existing agencies, answerable to no one but its leader. To protect people in south Thailand from insurgency-related violence , ISOC produced Jatukham Rammathep amulets for distribution to the Buddhist minority. The renowned animist amulets were believed to have magical powers to protect their wearers from violence and large sums are paid for them. The plan

5994-467: Was developed by Colonel Manas Khongpan, deputy director of ISOC in Yala Province . The cabinet of General Surayud Chulanont gave 732 ISOC staff members an 84.3 million baht "reward" in mid-2007. ISOC explained that police and soldiers were temporarily transferred to support ISOC's operation. ISOC wanted to reward them for their hard work and sacrifice. ISOC had originally requested the reward in 2003, but

6075-476: Was escorted to his home in Kensington where he joined his daughter Pinthongta, who is studying in London. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that Thaksin's trip was a private visit. Late in the evening, a spokesman of the CDR announced that the king has issued a royal command to appoint Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin as the CDR president. Contradicting earlier announcements, the CDR issued a 13th statement maintaining

6156-418: Was found driving a car containing 67 kilograms of explosives near the residence of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra . Pallop denied all involvement, noting that "If I was behind it, I would not have missed." A government spokesperson stated that the explosives in the car were completely assembled, equipped with a remote sensor ready to be detonated, and would have had a blast radius of around one kilometre. In

6237-460: Was implicated in several atrocities in its 1970s war against leftist groups. This included the Red Drum Massacre , the mass murder of southern Thai activists by burning them alive in gasoline drums. Student leader Thirayuth Boonmee showed evidence that the destruction of Ban Na Sai village, Bueng Kan District , Nong Khai Province (As of 2011, Bueng Kan Province ) in northeast Thailand was

6318-427: Was later joined by his family. General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said earlier that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra could return to the country, but warned he could face criminal charges. "Any prosecution would proceed under the law, and would depend on the evidence," Sonthi said. However, Privy Councilor and interim prime minister General Surayud Chulanont later warned against Thaksin's return, calling his return

6399-476: Was lifted in 41 of Thailand's 76 provinces on 26 January 2007 but remained in place in another 35 provinces. Elections were held on 23 December 2007, after a military-appointed tribunal outlawed the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party of Thaksin Shinawatra and banned TRT executives from contesting in elections for five years. The 2006 coup was named the unfinished coup after another army general Prayut Chan-o-cha staged

6480-403: Was mandatory for all gas and petrol stations in the city to close-down from 22:00–05:00 as a cost-saving measure. Hence he was forced to seek refuge near the international press personnel until it was possible for him to move out, as a result of which he was able to capture most of the event as it unfolded. After the coup, Thaksin flew from New York to London, where his daughter was a student. He

6561-421: Was turned down by the Thaksin government. Following the 2014 coup , junta leader Prayut Chan-o-cha used ISOC to handle not just military matters, but also political and social issues. In 2017, Prayut issued NCPO Order 51/2017 to bolster ISOC's powers. A key provision was the inclusion of public prosecutors under ISOC's ageis, marking ISOC's first involvement in the Thai justice system. The order also gave ISOC

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