European governments and travel industry officials reacted with alarm Tuesday after Thailand's military ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a bloodless coup, suspended the constitution, and declared martial law. Thaksin was abroad at the United Nations when troops and tanks moved on his offices in Bangkok.
The EU called for an immediate restoration of democratic governance. Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, representing the rotating EU presidency, said it was "highly regrettable" that military force appeared to have displaced elected institutions.
France advised its roughly 6,000 residents in Bangkok to remain indoors and said hotels had been contacted to relay the guidance to French guests. British authorities told travelers to monitor developments and avoid crowds. The Dutch foreign minister was described as deeply concerned, though officials said limited information was available.
European carriers reported no disruptions. KLM, SAS, and Finnair all said their Bangkok services were continuing normally, citing a calm atmosphere in the Thai capital.
On the tourism side, about 5,000 French nationals were on package holidays in Thailand at the time. France's tour operators association activated a crisis committee and confirmed that local operators had checked on the safety of guests at hotels throughout the country.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.