BREAKING: Thai military announces coup

This article is more than 12 months old

May 22, 2014 06:49 pm

It's official. There's been a military coup in Thailand.

Army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha said in an address to the nation on Thursday: “In order for the country to return to normal quickly, the National Peace Keeping Committee comprised of the army, the Thai armed forces, the Royal Air Force and the police need to seize power as of May 22 at 4.30 pm.”

The commander-in-chief, who invoked martial law on Tuesday, said the coup was needed to prevent the conflict from escalating.

“All Thais must remain calm and government officials must work as normal,” he added.

The move came after military-hosted talks between the country’s political rivals apparently failed to reach a compromise on ending nearly seven months of mass protests on the streets of Bangkok.

Rival protest leaders were seen being taken away by the army although it was unclear whether they had been formally detained.

All television channels have stopped broadcasting.