'September 19 was not Thaksin's worst day'A close Thaksin Shinawatra aide who was in New York with the former prime minister when he was ousted on September 19 last year has revealed the coup was not the "worst" event in the former leader's political life.
Thaksin's "most tense" day was a failed attempt on his life, former government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee told The Nation.
Breaking his silence over the events of September 19, Surapong revealed how news of the coup came out of the blue for Thaksin and his entourage.
He said Thaksin handled the situation with calm in spite of the obvious stress he was feeling. It was not Thaksin's "most tense day" when compared with the anxiety surrounding the bomb plot against his life a month earlier.
Surapong returned to Thailand in October. He spoke with this newspaper last week.
Surapong sketched the scene on the morning of September 19, New York time.
The Thaksin entourage was preparing for breakfast at 8am in the Grand Hyatt.
The prime minister called them to his suite and informed them of the coup rumours coming out of Thailand. Nobody believed it, Surapong said.
Things became clear an hour later, when Thaksin resolved to declare a state of emergency. The mood in the suite was positive. None of Thaksin's confidants believed the coup would succeed, Surapong explained.
"We never thought about a coup. We thought acting PM Chidchai Vanasatidya could handle the big anti-Thaksin rally planned for September 20," Surapong said.
Thaksin went off to write his address to the nation. When he was reading it on Channel 9 he was unaware he had been taken off air, Surapong explained.
It was not until noon that confirmation came that Thaksin had been overthrown. In the tense four hours until that time the Thai delegation was glued to the BBC and CNN channels. They snacked on a room-service breakfast.
Thaksin "appeared calm" but said little in this time. "He finally declared, 'It's over. The junta has seized power'.
"Thaksin was less tense than when he knew someone had wanted to assassinate him with the car bomb," Surapong said.
He added that 2006 was "a tense year for Thaksin".
Adviser Pansak Vinyaratn was in the suite that day. No stranger to coups - he was with former prime minister Chatichai Choonhavan when the National Peacekeeping Council toppled him in 1991 - he joked, "It's hit me again".
"We all understood the situation. We discussed where to go from there," Surapong said.
Surapong insisted there had been no previous discussion of a coup until that time. During the trip the delegation had worked on election policies and Thaksin was busy drumming up support for the poll planned for that coming October.
Thaksin had been on a trip to Finland, Cuba and the United States when he was overthrown. Immediately after his ouster he jetted to Britain to be with his daughter.
Surapong remained in the US, where he has a son studying at Indiana State University. He spent his free time visiting museums and libraries in several cities. "It's hard to do those things in normal times," he said.
"I'm not distressed. I understand what happened. And, I know how to spend my life now."
Surapong looks more relaxed and happier than when he was government spokesman.
His political experience has taught him "all problems pass one day".
"The important thing is to understand uncertainty and to live happily and prepare for a better future," he said.
He said the coup was not as harrowing as the events of October 6, 1976, in which friends were among the casualties. That depressed him.
Jintana Panyaarvudh, Sucheera Pinijparakarn
The Nation
Blog Master Said.... Its very bad time but not worst , I agree , I remembered Thaksin faced the car bomb day, Oh , they wanted to kill him because its not possible to topple him by used the fair game in democratic rules forever. The only way can stop him down that's the death , the accused in car bomb case told that "if this plan's not success , we have to seize." They known that the car bomb was most easily to get rid off Thaksin. Now, for the car bomb case , Its was forgotten by the Thai media because they distorted the case that its hoax. Its really joke !!
Thaksin's "most tense" day was a failed attempt on his life, former government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee told The Nation.
Breaking his silence over the events of September 19, Surapong revealed how news of the coup came out of the blue for Thaksin and his entourage.
He said Thaksin handled the situation with calm in spite of the obvious stress he was feeling. It was not Thaksin's "most tense day" when compared with the anxiety surrounding the bomb plot against his life a month earlier.
Surapong returned to Thailand in October. He spoke with this newspaper last week.
Surapong sketched the scene on the morning of September 19, New York time.
The Thaksin entourage was preparing for breakfast at 8am in the Grand Hyatt.
The prime minister called them to his suite and informed them of the coup rumours coming out of Thailand. Nobody believed it, Surapong said.
Things became clear an hour later, when Thaksin resolved to declare a state of emergency. The mood in the suite was positive. None of Thaksin's confidants believed the coup would succeed, Surapong explained.
"We never thought about a coup. We thought acting PM Chidchai Vanasatidya could handle the big anti-Thaksin rally planned for September 20," Surapong said.
Thaksin went off to write his address to the nation. When he was reading it on Channel 9 he was unaware he had been taken off air, Surapong explained.
It was not until noon that confirmation came that Thaksin had been overthrown. In the tense four hours until that time the Thai delegation was glued to the BBC and CNN channels. They snacked on a room-service breakfast.
Thaksin "appeared calm" but said little in this time. "He finally declared, 'It's over. The junta has seized power'.
"Thaksin was less tense than when he knew someone had wanted to assassinate him with the car bomb," Surapong said.
He added that 2006 was "a tense year for Thaksin".
Adviser Pansak Vinyaratn was in the suite that day. No stranger to coups - he was with former prime minister Chatichai Choonhavan when the National Peacekeeping Council toppled him in 1991 - he joked, "It's hit me again".
"We all understood the situation. We discussed where to go from there," Surapong said.
Surapong insisted there had been no previous discussion of a coup until that time. During the trip the delegation had worked on election policies and Thaksin was busy drumming up support for the poll planned for that coming October.
Thaksin had been on a trip to Finland, Cuba and the United States when he was overthrown. Immediately after his ouster he jetted to Britain to be with his daughter.
Surapong remained in the US, where he has a son studying at Indiana State University. He spent his free time visiting museums and libraries in several cities. "It's hard to do those things in normal times," he said.
"I'm not distressed. I understand what happened. And, I know how to spend my life now."
Surapong looks more relaxed and happier than when he was government spokesman.
His political experience has taught him "all problems pass one day".
"The important thing is to understand uncertainty and to live happily and prepare for a better future," he said.
He said the coup was not as harrowing as the events of October 6, 1976, in which friends were among the casualties. That depressed him.
Jintana Panyaarvudh, Sucheera Pinijparakarn
The Nation
Blog Master Said.... Its very bad time but not worst , I agree , I remembered Thaksin faced the car bomb day, Oh , they wanted to kill him because its not possible to topple him by used the fair game in democratic rules forever. The only way can stop him down that's the death , the accused in car bomb case told that "if this plan's not success , we have to seize." They known that the car bomb was most easily to get rid off Thaksin. Now, for the car bomb case , Its was forgotten by the Thai media because they distorted the case that its hoax. Its really joke !!
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