Bangkok, Thailand -- The Thai military launched a coup here tonight against the country's prime minister, who is in New York for a United Nations gathering.
The Thai military declared in a television broadcast a council of administrative reform, with King Bhumibol Adulyadej as head of state, according to wire service reports. The announcement said the military had seized power in Bangkok and nearby provinces without any resistance.
The Thai military also surrounded the prime minister's office in Bangkok today, according to the reports, and at least 20 soldiers entered the building.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ordered troops not to "move illegally" and instructed the heads of the armed forces to report to the acting prime minister in his absence, according to wire reports.
An Army-owned television station in Bangkok had interrupted regular programming, substituting patriotic music and showing pictures of the king, according to reports.
The substitute programming had proved a precursor of previous coups in the Southeast Asian nation, which is a popular destination for incentive groups. The last coup in Thailand occurred about 15 years ago. Since then, the political situation in Thailand has been relatively stable.
Army tanks were spotted in the streets of Bangkok last week, sparking rumors throughout the city of a coup, according to reports.
Recent political turmoil against the prime minister included massive rallies earlier this year, which forced Thaksin to dissolve parliament and call elections three years ahead of schedule. Thaksin has been accused of corruption and abuse of power.
Thaksin planned to return from New York on Thursday, a day earlier than originally scheduled, according to wire reports. But those plans may have changed now that the military appears in control.