Thaksin: King and Coup Plot

The video with Sonthi is post-coup. If anybody has audio isolation software, I think the discussion could be picked up. I actually heard, forget where, that HMTK didn't support this coup.


Financial Times:

Thaksin Shinawatra, the former premier of Thailand, has accused the country's revered king of prior knowledge of the military coup that toppled him in 2006.

King Bhumibol Abulyadej, regarded as a near deity and above politics by Thais, has publicly stayed out of the country's political turmoil.

But in an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Thaksin claimed the king had been briefed by leading generals and privy councillors about their plans to remove the polarising former prime minister ahead of the 2006 coup.

Thai officials denied Mr Thaksin's claim that King Bhumibol knew about the coup before it took place. "This is a totally groundless allegation. It is a lie," a spokesman for the Thai embassy in London told the FT.

The palace never comments on speculation concerning the king, but a senior Thai figure close to the situation described the allegations as "totally untrue".

According to Mr Thaksin, the coup was presented as a favour to the king, with his privy councillors accusing Mr Thaksin of disloyalty. Mr Thaksin said he had later been told this by General Panlop Pinmanee, who has in the past confirmed that he met Mr Thaksin but denied politics was discussed.

Mr Thaksin claims that Gen Surayud Chulanont - who served as interim prime minister following the coup - was present at the meeting with the king.

I can see Prem and Surayud plotting the coup. They both had personal beefs with Thaksin. Prem made noises that the army is only loyal to the king and people, not to the government, and Surayud was present at the coup conspiracy meeting at Piya's house with the chief judges and the Finland Republican Plot theorist.

I don't know what Thaksin is to gain by this "nuclear option." And he is putting General Panlop's life at risk, by disclosing his insider status. Wonder what his excuse or non-denial denial will be.

I guess reconciliation is out of the question now.

My personal feeling is the palace told Thaksin no compromise on his personal rehabilitation, reconciliation, his criminal cases or his money, so he decided to go for broke.

You have to wonder what the Thai media will do. Will they go into censorship mode or full propaganda mode?

I have another feeling this is the story that the Bangkok Post alluded to yesterday in their creepy article about silencing critics abroad.