Fri, 21:37 12 Jun 2009 GMT17

 

TIMELINE-Twists and turns in Thai political turmoil
13 Apr 2009 07:06:05 GMT
Source: Reuters
(For related story see [ID:nSP457963])

April 13 (Reuters) - The Thai army and anti-government protesters clashed in Bangkok on Monday, two days after protests forced an Asian summit to be cancelled in a southern tourist resort, which led to a state of emergency in the capital.

Here is a timeline tracing the recent political turmoil.

Sept. 2005 - Sondhi Limthongkul, a former business associate of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, starts the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) street campaign to oust Thaksin.

April 2, 2006 - Thaksin wins a snap election called to silence Sondhi. A court later nullifies the result.

Sept. 19 - Military stages a coup while Thaksin is at the United Nations in New York. He flies into exile in London.

Oct. 1 - Former army commander-in-chief Surayud Chulanont is sworn in as interim prime minister.

May 30, 2007 - Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party dissolved for breaking election laws. He and 110 senior party members are banned from politics for five years.

Aug. 20 - Voters endorse a new, military-drafted constitution, the 18th in 75 years of on-off democracy.

Dec. 23 - The pro-Thaksin People Power Party (PPP) falls just short of outright majority in a general election.

Jan. 28, 2008 - PPP leader Samak Sundaravej elected prime minister.

May 25 - PAD resumes street protests to overthrow what it says is a "Thaksin puppet government".

July 31 - Thaksin's wife Potjaman gets a three-year jail term for tax fraud.

Aug. 11 - Thaksin and wife skip bail and flee to London.

Aug. 26 - Thousands of PAD protesters storm Government House, Samak's official compound, in attempt to unseat him.

Sept. 2 - Samak declares a state of emergency in Bangkok after one person is killed and 45 hurt in clashes.

Sept. 9 - Samak found guilty of violating constitution by hosting TV cooking shows while in office and he has to quit.

Sept. 17 - Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin's brother-in-law at the time, is elected prime minister by parliament.

Oct. 21 - The Supreme Court sentences Thaksin to two years in jail in absentia for breaking a conflict-of-interest law.

Nov. 25 - PAD protesters storm Bangkok's main airport halting all flights. Up to 250,000 foreign tourists are stranded.

Dec. 2 - Constitutional Court disbands the PPP, bans Somchai from politics for five years. PAD protesters say they will end blockade of Bangkok's two airports on Dec. 3 after the ruling.

Dec 15 - Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, an Oxford-educated economist, becomes third prime minister in as many months. About 200 red-shirted demonstrators block access to parliament, accusing him of being a stooge of the military.

March 26, 2009 - Red-shirted Thaksin supporters start a blockade of Government House.

April 10 - The red shirts target an ASEAN summit in the beach town of Pattaya.

April 11 - ASEAN summit cancelled after protesters overwhelm riot troops and storm part of the conference venue. Some of the 15 visiting leaders are evacuated by helicopter.

April 12 - Abhisit declares a state of emergency in Bangkok. About 50 protesters force their way into the interior ministry with Abhisit inside. He escapes. Phoning his supporters at Government House, exiled Thaksin calls for a "people's revolution", says he would lead an uprising if there was a coup.

April 13 - Army cracks down on protests in Bangkok; 77 people reported injured in clashes.

Source: Reuters (Writing by Bangkok bureau, Gillian Murdoch and David Cutler; Editing by Alan Raybould and Sanjeev Miglani)
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Cleaners wear face masks at Saint Gabriel School in Bangkok June 12, 2009. Thailand started to clean up the school after five students were confirmed to be infected with the H1N1 ...



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