Thailand's Army Declares Military Coup, Suspends Constitution

Thailand's military chief declared a coup d'etat on Thursday and suspended the constitution. The takeover comes just three days after the country instituted martial law.

Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha announced the coup in a televised statement and appealed for people to remain calm.

"The military has to return peace and order to the country as soon as possible and to reform [the] political and social structure to ensure fairness for every side," he said. "I ask the people to remain calm and carry on with their business as usual."

Hours after the coup announcement, Thailand's military junta said it had suspended the constitution. The military confirmed in broadcast statement that the nation's caretaker government is no longer in power, but the Senate will remain in place, the Associated Press reports. Read more...