The Thai military launched a coup against its Prime Minister today, circling his offices with tanks, seizing control of television stations and declaring a provisional authority loyal to the King.

A statement from the Thai army said that its commander, Lieutenant General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, had taken control of the country, and was in consultations with the country’s King, Bhumibhol Adulyadej.

In a statement read out on television, General Sondhi said the military had seized power temporarily, and suspended the constitution, but that sovereignty will be "returned to the Thai people as soon as possible".

He ordered all troops to report to their stations and not leave without permission from their commanders. He said the coup was necessary because "the democratically-elected government had caused unprecedented division in Thai society".

There were reports that members of Mr Thaksin’s Government, including his Deputy Prime Minister, Chitchai Wannasathit, and Defence Minister, Thammarak Isaragurana Ayuthaya, had been arrested by the military, and submitted their resignations.

"The government is no longer administering the country," said an army spokesman, Colonel Akara Chitroj. "I think Thaksin will not return to Thailand for the time being."

But in New York, Mr Thaksin insisted that he remained Prime Minister. Thai spokesmen said that he remained calm and would address the General Assembly on the situation in Bangkok later today.

"Some of the military officials came out and tried to make a coup attempt but we confirmed they cannot succeed," a government spokesman in New York, Surapong Suebwonglee, told Reuters. "Now we’re in control."

But in central Bangkok, tanks with loud speakers and sirens have been rolling around the capital telling people to get off the streets.

Military and police involved in the apparent coup claim to have taken control of all six of the kingdom’s public television stations, as well as radio stations.

At least ten armoured vehicles were seen in central Bangkok and around 50 soldiers were reported to have arrived at Government House in the Thai capital, ordering police officers to hand over their weapons.

Mr Thaksin survived an alleged assassination attempt on August 24, when a sophisticated bomb was found in car parked near his house. Five military officers were arrested and charged for the plot but last week one of Mr Thaksin's aides said the conspiracy had not been entirely broken up.

His Government has been under severe pressure since a series of large protests and a flawed election that was boycotted by the main opposition parties earlier this year.

Mr Thaksin, a telecoms billionaire, was accused by opposition groups of corruption after his family sold a £1.14 billion stake in his Shin Corp business empire in January without paying taxes.

The allegation, coupled with ongoing questions over Mr Thaksin's handling of the Islamist rebellion in southern Thailand and his controversial anti-drugs campaign which has killed more than 2,500 people, led to almost daily protests in Bangkok.

Seeking to head off the demonstrations, Mr Thaksin, a former policeman, called snap elections three years early to exhibit his broad support in the rural north and centre of the country, where he is popular for job creation policies and credited with kick-starting the Thai economy. But opposition groups refused to take part, effectively ruining the contest.

Since then Mr Thaksin has refused to resign, hinting that he will try to lead his Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) Party to a third victory in general elections scheduled for November.

Although it is 15 years since the last military coup in Thailand, Bangkok has been uneasy with rumours of an army takeover this summer. Last week motorists called radio stations after tanks were spotted rolling down the streets of the capital.

That proved to be a false alarm, with the army saying it was merely soldiers returning from exercises.

Holidaymakers will continue to be flown into Thailand despite the decision by the country’s prime minister to declare a state of emergency.

British Airways has confirmed that its daily Heathrow-Bangkok flight will go ahead at 10pm this evening, as will Qantas’ 10.15pm and Eva Airs’ 9.30pm flight.

Thai Airways has said that its flight this evening at 9.30 from Heathrow is also going ahead but if anyone wanted to cancel they could change the ticket for the next available flight.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not changed its level of travel advice for Thailand, which means tour operators will go ahead with planned holidays.

Derek Moore, chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators, told Times Online: "If the Foreign Office hasn’t changed its advice then we will continue to operate. If the problem escalates into a political crisis we may have to think about changing itineraries, such as rerouting people directly out of Bangkok without a stopover in the city.

"However, in the absence of violence we are not too concerned about what is essentially an internal political situation."

Britons who are intending to travel to Thailand in the coming days have been advised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to monitor the situation before travelling, and once on the ground to avoid large crowds and demonstrations.

The FCO has also confirmed that it will keep its Thailand travel advice webpage updated

Around 350,000 Britons visit Thailand each year, and while the FCO warns of a high threat of terrorism throughout Thailand, most visits are trouble-free.

Explore Asia News

• China News

Times Recommends

• Churchill 'bribed Franco's generals'
• The pitbull Palin is back on a leash
• US soldier fights to take Iraq dog home