At 4.30pm om Thursday the armed forces led by army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha declared a coup.
Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha leaves the Army Club, where the meeting was held on Thursday, before he announced a coup. (Photo by Chanat Katanyu)
The army chief, flanked by all armed forces leaders, made the public announcement after the talks to break the political impasse at the Army Club showed no sign of moving ahead.
In fact, Gen Prayuth made the decision inside the meeting room.
A source at the meeting said Gen Prayuth decided to make the move after he asked caretaker Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri whether the caretaker government and cabinet would resign and the answer from the lead negotiator of the government was "no" as of that moment.
Gen Prayuth then announced that he decided to seize administrative power, the source quoted him as telling the meeting.
He then asked all five commissioners of the Election Commission (EC) and the Senate to leave the venue. The rest - 20 altogether - were taken to the 1st Division, King's Guard, to be under the army's custody at the nearby barracks. They represented the United Front for Democracy againist Dictatorship, the People's Democratic Reform Committee, the Pheu Thai Party and the Democrat Party.
The meeting brokered by Gen Prayuth entered the second day on Thursday with the central issue on the resignation of Niwuttumrong Boonsongpaisan and his cabinet. The resignation would clear the way for the setting up of an interim government and prime minister to work out reform and a new election. Another key issue was when new polls should be held.
Mr Niwattumrong said earlier at the Commerce Ministry that his position to stay in power remained unchanged. He left the ministry to go to the Pheu Thai head office at 4pm and then went to an unknown location after the coup was staged.